'Bond Shopping': the jailhouse secret putting our...

'Bond Shopping': the jailhouse secret putting our community at risk
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Jason Pollock
Owner/Operator
Surety Risk Management
Los Angeles, California
(323) 786-FIND

"Approach is Everything."

It's not a secret. I've said it before, Recently, in fact. Here in So Cal, this is the rule, not the exception. Bondsmen do this to stay alive, in the business sense. In other words, if you don't do that bond at that rate, the next guy will. Period. Your only alternative is to find another way to make a living. This is not new, nor is it rare. So "normal" is this, in fact, that potential clients will cop a major attitude during "negotiations". They will carry on as though they are doing you a favor. And, in a sense, they are. The business is eating itself from the inside out and, as usual with this sort of thing, California is leading the charge. This is the ugly underbelly of our livelihood and it doesn't end well, folks. Reform is needed. Unfortunately, the gradual reform-by-education approach isn't going to work. Nobody cares. It is all about money.

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Tom Duprey
Founding member, NABBI (Nat'l Assoc. of Bail Bond Inv.)
Ca. Bail Agent Lic#1845795
Owner/Operator, Thomas Duprey Bail Bonds
Owner/Operator, Orange County Bounty
(714) 727-4689

I just posted on this one too but will not repeat what I have already said... just more BS in this business... I will continue to be as compliant as possible... it may eventually run me out of this industry but so be it.............................

It just pisses me off that those of us... not just me but lots of us... that try to do this job ethically and straight up... get the brunt of the bad rap and the ones that work in the shade make the money and keep on truckin'... really burns me up... but what can we do??? basically nothing.................. but complain..........

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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"

Unfortunately, perception becomes reliability, and not just in this business. I have spent more this year than any other on lobbying efforts to save our industry, for the same people that will not contribute to the cause and laugh at you because they are getting a free ride, knowing you will.

I have always had an issue with defendants negotiating bail from jail, because you are no longer in charge of the bail relationship. You will also play hell collecting on the short money negotiated. We struggle with 1%, no liability bondsman. How are you supposed to underwrite correctly in such a market? When the defendants are aware you can get out without even signing a bail contract, we are screwed.

I see two options, proper and ethically running our businesses as we have, or joining the status quo. The latter requires one to compromise all of our ethical belief systems and practices.

On the good side, having completed my financials for 2013, business improved over the previous year, marginally. This improvement is after having revenues cut by half 2 years previously when the economy faltered and the state started ror'ing everyone.

Scott

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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)