During the bonding process, you’ll most likely have put up one of more items for collateral against a bond issued by an accredited bonding agent. These items may also have been physically taken for the time being to ensure that you’re more apt to pay back the bond after its been issued. For many people, securing the bond is a fairly straightforward process, however recovering the collateral can be more of a convoluted one. Often times, it can be hard to figure out just how to get your items back and what necessary steps need to be taken in order to close out all debts.
The first instance you’ll encounter after posting bond in Angleton, TX is the issue of the court case addressing the charges against you. Just because you’ve posted bond, doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to regaining your collateral items. In fact, unless the charges against you are dropped, you’re going to have to settle in court before the collateral items become your possessions again. Having the charges dropped, however, entitles you to your collateral back right away.
If the charges against you aren’t dropped and you’re headed to trial, there are two clear verdicts that will expedite the return of your collateral: innocent or guilty. It may sound obvious, as these are generally the two criteria for ending a court case, however the case must formally end on one of these notes in order for your bond agreement to be settled. In the event that you’re found innocent, the collateral will be returned to you; if you’re found to be guilty, you’ll be sentenced and unless the collateral was a family member’s or you have a beneficiary, it will be sustained by the bonding agent.
In either case, it all comes down to the length of your trial. Posting bond in Angleton, TX doesn’t entitle you to your collateral back, because it then becomes your responsibility to make all of your court appearances and legal obligations. If you were to skip these things, a warrant would be issued for your re-arrest, where you’d become a liability to the bonding agent—this is why all collateral is kept until there are no more legal proceedings.
It should be noted that whenever it comes time for you to receive your collateral back into hand, it can only be done if there are no more outstanding debts against the principle of the bond loan. Binding agents have a legal responsibility to collect all dues on a bond and have the authority to keep any collateral in place that may cover the extent of debt should the loan not be fully reimbursed.
Knowing the full bonding process—how it works, what can be used as collateral and when everything will be returned—will give you a better understanding of the bonding system as a whole. This will help you to avoid any miscommunication and give you peace of mind that everything is as it should be: you’re not forgetting anything and your property is not being held illegally after posting bond in Angleton, TX.