Solidifying A Better Future For My Kids

Cash Bond Only: Can You Raise It?

19 November 2018

Jackie Watts

People have to do something particularly heinous for a judge to rule "cash bond only." It means that the judge has restricted the accused to jail with the only hope of release resting on a large cash amount to bail out the accused. At this point, do you still need a bail bond agent, and does it make a difference? Well, that depends primarily on whether or not you can raise the cash amount the judge required. Here are some options on how to raise that money, and the role of the bail bond officer in regards to court appearance bail bonds of the "cash only" type.

​Second Mortgage or Selling a Car

"Cash only" bonds are often steep, in the tens of thousands range. Even if the family of the accused or the accused is not particularly well-off, you can expect the cash bond to fit the crime, and the amount to start at ten grand and go up to several hundred thousand dollars. If you are fortunate, the amount is low enough that you can take a second mortgage on your house, or sell a car you own outright for its current market value to help afford the bail.

Selling the House or All of Your Most Valuable Items

This is a rough situation, and that was the judge's intention. It means that the judge had some concerns regarding the possible flight risk of the accused, or that the crimes with which the accused has been charged leave the judge in an uncomfortable spot of putting a possibly dangerous person back on the street. So the judge ordered a cash bail bond only. That means you may have to sell your home to get enough money together, or sell off all of your most valuable items, cash in life insurance policies, pull money from retirement accounts, etc..

If and When You Finally Raise the Money

​Undoubtedly, it will take you a while to raise the cash. If and when you finally raise it, you still need to go through a bail bond agent. The court is expecting a bond agent to collect all of the cash from you and deliver it to the right people in either the courthouse or jail (depending on how your county and state operate these situations). Bond paperwork is drawn up to accompany the cash to create a legally binding contract that states exactly what amount of cash was given, and that you understand the purpose of the bail bond in this case. The cash bond also ensures that if the accused does flee, the bond agent can pursue him/her and force him/her to appear in court.

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