What is Bail?
Bail or bond is an amount of money in cash, property, or surety bail bond for the purpose of making sure that a person attends all required court appearances. Bail or Bond allows an arrested person (The defendant) to be released from jail until their case is completed.
Who can post bond?
Defendants can post their own bond in selected cases; this is usually not the norm. If the defendant can’t afford or does not qualify to bond themselves out of jail, any other qualified person age 18 or older can post the bond. Usually the person posting bail in a very close friend or relative, I do business with a lot of moms.
If I bond someone out of jail, when will I get my money back?
If you post a full cash bail at the jail, you may get some of the bail back. It could take months to years. If you post a cash bond with the jail, you might get some of the bond back, but it won’t be until the case is finished and the necessary paperwork has been processed
Florida law lets the Courts and Jail use the cash bond to pay any fine or costs which might be assessed the defendant. This includes housing of the Defendant, Court Fines, Court Cost, and any other fee the jail imposes.
If you post a surety bond (use of a bail bondsman), you will only be charged 10% of the entire Bond amount providing the defendant appears for all of his court hearings.
What is a cash bond?
A cash bond is the full amount of the bond required by the jail, paid in cash, to release a defendant from jail. Here in Lake County and Central Florida, we don’t see cash bonds very often except for civil matters such as child support and order of commitments for unpaid court fines.
How do I post a cash bond?
For instructions on how to post a cash bond, call your local Sheriff’s Office. Generally Lake and Sumter County jail will accept cash in the exact amount of the cash bond, or purge. Note: You should not use a bail bond agent to post a cash bond , cash bonds are posted at the jail at this takes the bail bondsman out of the scenario.
Can I change my mind after I post a cash bond for someone?
You may have the defendant turn themselves in to jail any time before the defendant misses a court date. If the defendant is returned to the jail, you will need to file the required paperwork with the court. It will take several weeks for the money to be mailed to you.
If I post a cash bond, will I get my money back?
Maybe, If the defendant attends all court appearances and either pleads guilty or is found guilty, by Florida law, a cash bond can be used to pay fines and costs: …when the money has been deposited, if it remains on deposit at the time of the judgment for the payment of a fine, the clerk must, under the direction of the court, apply the money in satisfaction thereof, and after satisfying the fine and costs, must refund the surplus, if any, to the party posting the deposit.
Surety Bail Bonds
What is a bail bondsman?
Bondsman, bonds person, bail agent, and bail bond agent are all names used for a person who is licensed by the State of Florida Department of Financial Services to sell surety bail bonds and is authorized to conduct business in the State of Florida. He or she is an agent for an insurance company that sells surety bail bonds.
What is a surety bail bond?
A surety bond is an agreement made between the defendant, a person and a bondsman. The bondsman agrees to post the necessary bond so the defendant can be released from jail. This agreement is backed by an insurance company contract signed by the person and the bondsman on behalf of the insurance company.
Only a person who has been licensed by the State Department of Insurance may post a surety bond.
Why would I hire a bondsman?
If you don’t have the cash to cover the full bond amount, you may wish to hire a bail bondsman to bond yourself or someone else out of jail.
Also, as mentioned above, sometimes the Court keeps a cash bond. If you are bonding someone out of jail and you don’t want to take the chance that all or part of your cash will be used to pay the defendant’s court fines, fees and restitution, you might want to hire a bail bondsman.
How much does a surety bail bond cost?
A surety bail bond will cost you 10% of the full bail amount or a minimum of 100$ per charge. You will not get any of the surety bondsman’s fees back because it is nonrefundable.
The surety bondsman’s fee, set by the State of Florida, will cost 10% of the total bond.
Example: a $5000 bail bond will cost 500$ when you use a bail bondsman as a surety.
How do I post a surety bail bond?
Call Altman Bail Bonds, (352) 343-6090 we will do our best to explain the bail bond process to you.
The defendant and a cosigner will be required to sign the bail bond agent’s contract. If I’m a consignor, what will I have to do? If the defendant misses a court date, you will be expected to help the bail bondsman find the defendant, to pay the bondsman’s expenses for finding the defendant, or to pay the full amount of the bail bond if the defendant cannot be found.
If I go through a bond agent to post a surety bond, will I get my money and collateral back?
You will not get the surety bond fee ,the 10%, back. Any Collateral deposited will be returned when the bond is discharged and the defendants case is over.
BEFORE SIGNING ANY CONTRACTS OR PROMISSORY NOTES, MAKE SURE YOU READ THROUGH THEM CAREFULLY. BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THEM. ALWAYS GET COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS YOU SIGN AT THE TIME YOU SIGN THEM.
This information is to provide you with basic information only. Every case is different and some are very complicated.
If you need more information or bail bond advice, please contact bail bond Agent Tim Altman Altman Bail Bonds. Bail Bondsman vary on their dedication to their clients. Bail Bond Agent Tim Altman is a full time bail bondsman and has been licensed as a surety agent with the State of Florida since 1999.
Our bail bond agency in Tavares is dedicated to providing Fast, Knowledgeable, and Professional bail bond service to you.
