BEA - bonds from two companies on same fugitive?

I am a private investigator / BEA. My partner and I are both new at this, so we're
doing a lot of reading to learn. We have a fugitive who has a small bond with the
company we normally work with, and also has a prior much larger bond with another
company. We expect to apprehend the fugitive shortly. We would of course LIKE to
be paid something by the company with the earlier large bond, as well as the company
with the small bond whom we contracted with.

Is it common for a BEA to approach the second company in a case like this?
If so, how do you normally go about it? We have another bond on a friend of
this fugitive, so while talking to the second company about another case, giving
them a free "heads up", I mentioned that we may well come across their fugitive
while looking for the friend., and asked if they wanted their fugitive picked up
if we came across her. The person working the desk said she needed to ask
the owner/manager, but thought they probably would not pay anything because
the "have someone who does that for us" - whom we believe to be the owner
himself now doing it illegally since his PI licensed expired. I'd like to follow up
with this company who had the big bond, but thought I'd seek advice from
more experienced members of the forum first. First, is it considered ethical to
seek payment from two companies with two separate bonds on the same
fugitive? If so, how best to approach it when dealing with a company who
doesn't seem interested in "hiring a bounty hunter", given that we'll probably
apprehend the fugitive on the small bond either way.

There is nothing wrong with being hired by multiple bondsmen unless you are under an exclusive contract with one. The game that gets played when you contact the second bondsman is that if they know you are going to pick up the person for the other bondsman, so why should they pay you? Most aren't going to do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Also, many bondsmen know if a person has skipped on another, and waits to see if the other will get the SIQ picked up before moving on their forfeiture.

Good luck!

_________________
Kathy Blackshear
Blackshear Investigations
Blackshear Bail Bonds
Sales Associate, Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Walsenburg, CO

Proud Member of the AB Reject Club

What Kathy said is entirely accurate. I would like to add a few things...

The time to ask advice is before you do something, not after it.

Never underestimate the bail bondsman, they didn't get where they are because they are stupid.

Bondsman almost always know who else is on a defendants bond and will rely on another company to do their work for them.

Since you have already contacted them, you have blown a golden opportunity, but since you did not talk to the owner, you may be able to salvage it. I would ask for an appointment for a face to face meeting. Explain that you have the case on the defendant for another bondsman. Tell him you aren't asking for the case from him or any money, but would like to see his case papers to see if there is discrepant information from the case papers that you have from the other bondsman. Ask him to consider using you in the future, once you prove your abilities. This guy writes big bonds, he will need you in the future. He may not want to risk his big bond an an inexperienced chase man, because if you mess it up and he goes under, everyone is out money. Remember, that nobody likes to be lied to or mislead, or someone coming at them with a hand out. That doesn't mean that this guy wouldn't treat you badly, but to maintain your integrity, you only have 1 time to make a first impression. Prove your value or worth before asking them for anything. You might give up a few bucks in the short term for a potentially good client worth more money to you over the long term.

Please take this advice in the best light, as it is meant for you and anyone else in the same boat. I have been lied to and screwed over by the best of them, so don't pay for the same real estate twice!

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)

Often find out after the fact that my defendant is out on another in a different jurisdiction. With our limited info access it is sometimes difficult to find this out going in..... I usually find out two weeks into the bond and after they FTA on the other guys or mine... then I find out and depending on the amount and area I either make a quick search and pick up or try to get a handle on the other bondsmans moves.

I recently had a small $1500 that made all my court dates but skipped on a $10,000 down at Va. Beach.... the bondsman contacted me... I had no idea there was another bond in the scenario... I gave him the next court date... my guy showed up ... the bondsman showed up and arrested the defendant and I handed my bail-piece (which I had gotten that morning) to the bailiff who served him right there in the courtroom. I know several bondsmen that would not consider helping another, but I feel like it is a two way street and sometimes you have to work together.... it could just have easily been the other way around... and may be the next time.

IMHO; You have to work together in this business, I always try to work with whomever is involved with my cases... sometimes the folks I try to work with are real 'crabs' but most of the time they will appreciate your cooperation and will remember the fact at a later date.

_________________
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"

The advice is very much appreciated.

Ray
It can become tedious at times, if I am on a bond and the defendant skips on another bondsman, due to my local reputation, they will do nothing and see what I do. I know that I am not the only one this happens to. There are others on here that face the same situation because of their reputations. I have had bondsmen tell me that they bonded a defendant because he was already on my bond and they felt safer in writing the bond.

In Maryland, you can't just step off of a bond by a surrender if the defendant gets locked up again. Here, you have to surrender the full 10% you were supposed to collect, even if you didn't, along with the defendant. That stops alott of the 2am phone calls when a couple is fighting and they want to revoke the bond. You tell them how much it is going to cost and they get miraculously healed.

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)