My Very First Contract!

Good Morning!
At least it is around these parts as I write this! Wow, what am I doing up at this hour on a Saturday??? LOL

Several months ago, I dropped by Adams County Detention Center to visit my wife who works in an office located within the facility. I noticed a bondsman sitting in the waiting area and figured "why not give him one of my business cards?" Ergo, that's just what I did. Figured I'd never hear anything more and went about life in general.

To my surprise, he called me a couple of days ago to say he has a skip he needs rounded up. It is a pretty darn nice tab that should net me approximately 4k, which I will split between myself and another agent who I anticipate will help me fetch in this skip.

As ya'll know, I'm fairly new as an FRA. I haven't been doing bail enforcement for an entire year yet, and that year won't be complete until sometime in November. I've been working with a mentor (whom I haven't been given liberty to post his name on an open forum yet) and a team of FRAs that work with him. But until now, I've received a call when there is a skip that needs apprehended, but I haven't developed any relationships with bail agents of my very own for help with FRA work. Until this one, that is. This is my very first.

Naturally I'm excited. And just as naturally, when that call came in, my mentor is out of state just now. I met with the bail agent yesterday and got the file. I need to get with him and get a contract signed between myself and him for the work to be accomplished. I have one I can use, but have no 'body receipt' yet for when I surrender him to the county jail (a different county, not Adams).

I called the boss and he fixed me up with another agent I can work with on this case, and he will come back next week and throw himself into the hunt if we haven't got the skip nailed down before then. Terrific.

Perhaps ya'll can recall the first case of your very own when you got started out. If so, you will know how fired up I am about this. This is more than 'come join the hunt', it is the first hunt I've brought back to my people asking them to 'come join the hunt'.

When I met with the bondsman, I freely admit I had insufficient knowledge to ask the right questions, and get the complete picture while accepting the case. I've not been on that end of the recovery process until yesterday. What I do know is that the simple act of handing out a business card got me my first job that is entirely my own. I always told my boss agent that I'd bring any jobs I got through my own efforts back for us to work together. I figure it part of the learning process, and also figure turn-about to be fair play. He brought me in on jobs, only fair that I bring back jobs in return.

So I'm excited about this, being my first recovery job that is entirely my own. Any advice in regard to working with the bail agent, appropriate questions when meeting with the bail agent, or forms I should have handy would be greatly appreciated.

I look for the payout on this job to pay my NABBI membership and likely pay my way to Philly!

Blessings,
Mel

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

Congrats Mel, PM me the data you have on this guy and I will run some stuff on him for you. Check to make sure that he is in warrant status everyday. He could turn himself in when he learns that you are on him and wsait for your to come pick him up and then sue you.

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)

Congrats as well ! 1 piece of advice: Don't advertise dollar figures on here. The feds from multiple agencies are constantly monitoring this website. You are only setting yourself, partner, and client up for an IRS audit. Besides, your income isn't anyone else's business.

Additionally, unethical, unscrupulous "bounty hunters" can take all of the information you provided above then engage the elimination process, and deduce who your target and client are, thereby usurping your intended apprehension.

Furthermore, you just possibly implicated your wife and her employer, in possible unethical practices. You have identified her as a county employee, you as a bounty hunter...possible cause for grounds for an investigation into her and her agency for departmental violations.

Just the other day the Chief Deputy of Lawrence County Al. was arrested for using the NCIC system for running illegitimate background checks. He is a 21 yr veteran leo now facing 2 felonies and 2 misdemeanors.

Myself and Scott M. have repeatedly warned and cautioned members here over the years to be extremely careful about what you write....you never know who is reading the forums.

_________________
River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

When posting information publicly, "less is more" comes to mind. Congratulations on your very own case!

_________________
Justin Hamilton
JT Recovery
Professional Bail Enforcement/Recovery
(410)443-3227
Maryland and surrounding areas.

Mel,

If I were new to this business and forum, the comments and warnings would probably cause me to post nothing on this forum. The IRS, if you're paying your taxes, who cares? If you are concerned about others knowing you are a Bail Agent and you think it could cause your wife a problem, then ask for your post to be removed. Please don't get so caught up in what could happen that you become afraid to do anything. You can go back through my posts and see where my wife's salon is. Don't be alarmed, take Scott M advice, pm him, and he will steer you in the right direction. If I can be of help I'm a call away!

Take care

_________________
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

Some very good points were made in Ruffins post. It's always good to be cautious when posting something on an open forum. My point was simply not to freak out over it and have it removed if you so choose....Just thought I'd throw that in there

Congratulations on your case!!

Take care

_________________
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

Howdy Again!
That's advice I will take to heart in the spirit given! I surely do appreciate it.
My enthusiasm for having my first contract that I went out and got myself led to a bit of headiness, I suppose.

Nobody in my neighborhood is accessing NCIC, so that's not an issue. My concern is mostly for the client who feels he needs to get this case closed ASAP, and is very nervous that he'll end up covering the bond. I think he feels it is more imminent than it actually is, but that does not discount my own intention to close this case ASAP.

I'll take your advice quite seriously going forward, and appreciate your concern. Thank you sincerely for taking time to share that.

Blessings,
Mel!

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

Howdy JT!
Got it. Thanks for the reminder.

Blessings,
Mel

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

Thank you for your response. I ain't brand spanking new, but certainly rooky status contrasted with most folks on this forum. Will I make mistakes? You get your best pair of cuffs I will! Plenty of them, I suppose. But each one teaches something, and I won't make 'em twice.

I do indeed pay my taxes, but need to develop a better set of skills for bookkeeping. It ain't precisely my favorite part of things, and math was always my achilles heel. Still, the sort of thing a man needs to learn in order to be in business for himself so a necessary evil.
Don't much care who knows I'm a fugitive recovery agent, and maybe one day I might train up for a bail agent, but that's another tale for another day. My wife has her work life, and I have mine, and they don't cross paths except for sharing stories of our individual exploits when we are together. I hear a great deal about her life at her office, and she hears some about my doings of a day. But I ain't quite as talkative about what I do as she is.

As for being fearful, that ain't really my nature. If anything, I tend to be a little lacking in that department. That doesn't mean I'll throw caution to the winds, but I just don't fear much of anything. Well, maybe the IRS! LOL!

Indeed I will get a PM out and take that kind offer of a boost from Scott in the spriit offered. And I want to thank you for offering assistance. That's really terrific of you to offer. I surely do appreciate it.

Now I should be off and getting stuff done this morning because I have no shortage of stuff to be getting done today! All I need a two or three clones, and I'd be all set!

Blessings,
Mel

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

Congrats Mel! Now get'em!

_________________
Heritage and Profession Together

J.G. Marshall
MARSHALL FUGITIVE SERVICE
Lic. # 2008-392
Moderator


Its the Irish in my mind that keeps me sane,
and the Irish in my heart that keeps me strong.