Virginia Bail Agent Refusing to Pay!!!!!

Good morning good people!

I have a question. Has anyone had a negative experience with Carol Meredith of Bad Girlz Bail Bonds in Virginia? I did a $30,000 emergency recovery for her on 5 September 2014. She was communicating everyday until I found her fugitive. Now that it's time to write the check, she's avoiding all communications, including text messages.

_________________
Jay Johnson
Owner

Confidential Investigative Services
(443) 274-3468
email: jay@cis-pi.agency
www.cis-pi.agency

This is funny. I was with Carol the entire day while you two were in contact. She never hired you. She informed you that she had not been served a show cause and did not have the paperwork ready to pick her up. You stated that you were hired to pickup a girl that Carol's fugitive was traveling with, NOT Carol's fugitive.....well, that was a LIE!!! Carol's fugitive was out on Bond with another company and failed to appear. That company hired you to pick her up and you have been paid by them. I confirmed this today with the company that hired you and they are willing to send proof, so nice try. You didn't do Carol any favors....You did the job you were hired to do by another company and now you are trying to get paid twice for one fugitive....BUSTED

There is a Moderator that works in Virginia here.. Speezak ..

He should be along shortly to possibly say a few words..



Might I ask ?... did you get a signed contract for the work she hired you for ?

_________________
JEFF P.
Limited Surety Agent (FL) - License # P_2O8124_
Private Investigator (FL) - License # C_27OOO33_
NABBI Member



"Surprise Sex is the Best Thing to Wake up to, UNLESS, You are in Jail... "

My stupidity, Jeff.

It was something that had to be done right away. Short story, I was hunting a different fugitive. When I had my fugitive narrowed down, my informant advised that my fugitive was going to be heading to Florida to work in her industry. The informant also advised that there was another individual accompanying my subject bragging that she was out on a 30k bond from Virginia. I obtained the individual's information and found the bail bond company in Virginia to let them know where their defendant was. Her name is Carol Meredith of Bad Girlz Bail Bonds. I informed her that both my defendant and hers were traveling in the same circles and had both planned to go to Florida over the weekend. I let her know where she could find her defendant but she said that she needed to get a bail piece first and that she had no resources to come and get the defendant. At that time, I offered my services to secure her subject. I advised that it would be 10% of the bail amount and she agreed. My stupidity is that I trusted her word because of the exigent circumstance. I should have secured a contract.

The next day on my way to pick them both up, I learned that both defendants got into an argument and my subject left heading to Florida alone. I called Ms. Meredith to let her know that my girl was now on the road already and hers was still in Maryland. I asked again if she was sure that she wanted me to pick her up and she said, "yes". I then asked her if she had the bail piece yet and she advised that she didn't have time the day before to go get it but she promised that she would have it within the next few hours and pleaded with me to get her girl into custoday. So, I stopped the hunt for my girl and pursued hers, which I caught a few days later before heading to Florida. Once I got her girl into custody, I learned that she had a warrant in Maryland in which another recovery service, I won't mention the name, was looking for her in Virginia instead of Maryland. After advising Ms. Meredith of the additional warrant a light bulb went off in her head and she stopped all commuication utilizing the opportunity to avoid making payment. I have left a lot out of the story, but in a nutshell that's it.

Now here's what's funny. I thought that this forum was supposed to be for recovery agents in the business. I made the first post expecting someone in the network to help me out. But instead, a "recovery agent" read my post and forwarded it to Ms. Meredith. Now all of a sudden she's texting me nasty messages....

_________________
Jay Johnson
Owner

Confidential Investigative Services
(443) 274-3468
email: jay@cis-pi.agency
www.cis-pi.agency

CIS: Seems to be a lot of side-roads to this story... everyone's got a side and I can only respond as follows...

1. First of all, "what is an emergency recovery"??? and how did you legally pick this person up without proper paperwork? ie: the bail piece/surety capias.

2. Verbal contracts (between bondsman and recovery agents) can be enforced but it depends entirely on the judge that hears the case and whether there are collaborating witnesses to the initial verbal contract. No easy answer on this front... it would all depend on the judge and jurisdiction. I have seen cases go either way. I can tell you that as a Virginia bondsman... I would not even think about giving a recovery agent that I did not know well, a job without an ironclad written contract and even then I would be extremely skeptical... and I would NEVER/NEVER/NEVER... make a deal on the phone... face to face is the only way I deal with recovery agents... unless of course I have a solid recommendation from a very close associate that knows the agent in question.... this business is too damn full of charlatans and wanna bees and I would not put my business on the line because of a misguided association.

3. Seems there were more than just two recovery agents and sureties involved here??? That and whether written contracts were involved also plays a major part. I have said for many years... HIRE ONLY ONE AT A TIME.. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE WHERE THAT ASSOCIATION IS GOING... FIRE THEM BEFORE YOU HIRE ANOTHER ON THE SAME SKIP.

I edited this question after re reading the initial post...
4. Are you licensed in Virginia and also Maryland? I see that you are located in Maryland but the skip was out of Virginia, therefore the paperwork would have to come out of the Virginia jurisdiction where the bond was posted. I do know that only a licensed Virginia recovery agent can make recoveries in Virginia... Virginia does not recognize any other states licensed recovery agents. What did you do with the girl after you picked her up and/or how did you turn her in without a bail piece?

5. The fact that a Maryland warrant was on the books does not necessarily mean anything in Virginia and visa versa....

There seems to be too much "he said, she said".... and I am sure each side will say they are right... so with the limited info available I don't think I can say much else.

Just be vigilant on who you deal with and take no ones word on anything... check your associations out completely and believe no one until you have vetted them yourself.

I have been in this business for many years and still consider myself a novice.... I learn something new every day and I will also repeat something most that know me have heard before.... "the rule of thumb in this and any business is..... there is no rule of thumb"

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

This forum is only a message board for those INTERESTED in this or similar businesses... you do not need to be licensed to post here... you do not even need to be associated with any aspect of this business... this forum is frequented by all sorts of wanna bees... and those that have nothing better to do than come on here and ask questions that often have nothing to do with this industry...

For a long time, as one of many moderators on FRN (I think there are 7 of us)... I used to try and respond to most everyone... but after so many years of basically answering the same questions day after day... for years... I finally decided to just sit back and pick and choose who to respond to.... and hope that a bit of intelligence would surface within those posters and they might actually begin to figure things out for themselves... that often is not the case...

My only advice here would be to again.... vet your associations in person and to a very deep level.... these forums provide good basic information but never take anything for granted... check out and vet people... and the facts they post... and that includes what I say.... My circle of associates is extremely tight and although I have many contacts in this industry... the ones that I truly trust can be numbered on two hands.... and unfortunately, those even change sometimes due to extenuating circumstances.... this is a very volatile industry and people come and go almost on a daily basis....

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

I spoke with the Maryland Bondsman that hired you to pick up this fugitive. << deleted by moderator>>

posted by moderator.............

I think you need to take this off this forum and deal with it face to face... if you or anyone else has a personal problem with someone in this industry... take it to them and off this site... FRN is not a regulatory agency or forum, we have no say so in personal problems and although we may comment on them... we attempt to do it in an easy manner.... if it gets the least bit heated.... it needs to be handled between the parties... and not on this forum.

Heated discussions have come up in the past and frankly, are best left off this site.

added: I might mention that there is a "private section" on FRN where those of us who have been vetted and are true members of this industry sometimes discuss cases and situations that are outside the realm of the public arena... in order to be a member in that section, you need to be licensed and solidly hooked up to this industry and as they say... 'pass muster' with the current members. Discussions in that section remain private.

I will be glad to post comments that relate to the overall thread but no "flames" please.

BTW Meganhoover.... please post an introduction as to who you are and your connection to this industry.

It pays to know your job and the laws that are applicable to where you choose to operate. Not to get into any pissing matches, had too many over the years and nobody comes out smelling any better. Some observations, if a VA bondsman hired you, there is paperwork required by law to include an authorization to arrest and the bail Capias, absent that, there is no re-arrest authority, regardless of any verbal agreement/conversation. Secondly, were a VA bondsman to hire you, they likely as not would not pay you unless you surrendered the defendant to the wanting jurisdiction in VA. The required documents are available on the VA DCJS website. Lastly, you are upset about not being paid, but did get paid by another company, so what happened to the hunters the MD company hired? SOL I assume, and is that more or less right in your opinion? What happened to the skip that you were contracted to apprehend?

Just curious,

Scott

_________________
R.E. "Scott" MacLean III

"Leaders are like Eagles, you never see them in a flock, but one at a time"

Chesapeake Group Investigations, Inc.
Chesapeake Bail Bonds
877-574-0500
301-392-1100 (fax)
301-392-1900 (Office)

Let me first say that I will not take sides on this issue, but I will say where there is smoke surely fire will follow. I would suggest that you read this case before entertaining any cases in Virginia: Clifton L. COLLINS v. COMMONWEALTH of Virginia. I would also suggest that you should always have a written contract that outlines your arrest powers and pay for apprehension services.

In addition to what I have mentioned, you should heed the information and suggests afforded you by Bill M. and Scott M. two of the most knowledgeable individuals in the industry. Lastly on a house keeping note I tried to access your website to no avail, please check your URL so that we all may enjoy reviewing your webpage.

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Domestic Security Investigations
P.O. Box 4462
Rockville, MD 20849
Tel: 1-800-387-0787
Anti-Moral Majority Club President
"Fear not the unknown, Fear the person who controls the unknown" Gene 7:14

Collins is one of two that I know this happened to. Both from North Carolina. The other guy had to pay attorney fee's and a huge fine, but walked. I get spooked driving through Virginia with a defendant that has been picked up in another state. Needless to say, no way am I picking up a skip in Virginia.

Bill

_________________
Bill Williams
Bail Agent
Eagle Bonding Services
Asheville NC 28804
828-777-8667
Lic # NC10013561
Lic # TN 2033018

Never be haughty to the humble
or humble to the haughty - Jefferson Davis