It’s no secret that if you’re taking out a bond to post bail, you probably don’t have the funds to cover your legal expense. In fact, most people who find themselves meeting with a bail bondsman in Angleton are generally going to leave the meeting in a precarious situation: they’ll have secured the funds they need to post bail, but they’ll be on the hook for something of value should they not show up for their day in court! Take a look at the top 10 forms of collateral that could tie you to your bond:
- Pawnable items: If you’ve got something of value that’s not of traditional fluid trade—meaning that it isn’t universally accepted as payment—it can be put up against your bond as collateral anyway… assuming a bail bondsman in Angleton can take it to a pawn shop and exchange it for cold hard cash!
- Firearms: Assuming a firearm isn’t what got you into legal trouble in the first place, you can use a good condition firearm as collateral for a bond. Guns are known to be valuable!
- Jewelry: because of the high-value nature of jewelry, it’s seen as yet another good source of collateral if you find yourself in legal troubles. Jewelry is sometimes even more valuable than the cash you’d get from pawning it, since different components could actually be sold off individually or melted down for raw materials.
- Cars and other vehicles: A vehicle is likely the second largest investment you’ll ever make in your lifetime and it can absolutely cover your gaps when it comes to collateral. Depending on the vehicle in question, you might actually find that it’s the only collateral you need when covering a bond!
- Cold hard cash: No bail bondsman in Angleton is ever going to turn down cash as a way to cover the bond—it’s the universal way to ensure that you’re covered. Unfortunately, this is the one thing that most people out on bond can’t put up to cover their freedom.
- Bank balance: Alongside cold hard cash, a hefty bank balance is usually all it takes to secure a bond, but again, it’s often times representative of the one thing that someone with legal troubles isn’t boasting about.
- Land: If you happen to own a tract of land that you’re not using, it could just be your ticket to bond security. Like money, land is another universal marker of wealth and currency, so you should have no trouble dealing in land if it comes down to that.
- Your home: It’s a risky move, but many times the only thing a person has to put up against their bond is their home. If you’re going to be putting your home up as collateral, be sure that whoever you’re bailing out shows up for their court date or you could quickly find yourself without a home.
- Property bond: Like putting your home up against a bond, a property bond basically institutes a land lien be put up as collateral. Be warned though, if the accused doesn’t make it to court, a bank will be quick to foreclose on your property.
- Surety bond: If a friend is bailing you out or you’re the friend bailing someone else out, you’re likely going to be doing so under the guise of a surety bond. This simply means the principle of the bond is paid outright by the friend and the rest is backed by an insurance agency. If you or a friend skips out, however, whoever paid the principle is on the hook for the whole thing!