Question

What happens if you can't pay back a bond?

Answer 1

If you can't pay back a bond to a bail bondsman then your bond can be revoked and a warrant can be issued for your arrest and could get more jail time, have things repossessed, have your income if any taken by the court etc.

The bail bond company will send out bounty hunters to look for you and can bring you into jail if you fail to keep up with any payments to the bail bond company.

If you put your home or other things up for collateral those things can be taken from you.

If you can't pay the bail the court has set for you, you won't be able to get released from jail.

Therefore, you will have to remain in jail until the date the court has set for your trial.

Not being able to post your bail can be a difficult and stressful situation.

Also if the bondee should fail to pay the premium on the bail bond or skip his or her court date, causing the bail bond to be forfeited, the bail bonding company may collect payment from the cosigner.

A bail bond is a legally enforceable contract between three parties: the principal (the state), the bondee (you) and the surety (the bail bonds company).

The purpose of this contract is to allow the surety to 'bond' the bondee out of jail for a specified fee.

You can also bail yourself out of jail if you have the money and not use a bail bondsman but you would have to put up the entire amount which you get back if you appear in court as you are required to do so.

If you fail to appear in court you won't get the bail bond money back and will have a warrant issued for your arrest.

Answer 2

I went through a similar situation last year when I co-signed for a friend. Unfortunately, he didn’t follow the terms, and that caused a serious issue. What I learned is that if you can’t pay back a bond, the bail company can demand full repayment, seize any collateral you provided, or even file a civil lawsuit against you.

In our case, we spoke with the team at Vista Bail Bonds, and they were incredibly understanding. They offered us a more flexible payment plan and helped us avoid a more serious legal problem. They’re one of the few companies that truly treat people with respect and patience.

If anyone in the area is going through something like this, I’d definitely recommend reaching out to them before things go too far.