Live Out of State? You Can Use Your Home There to Bail Someone Out in California
Your son, daughter or family member was arrested in Southern California, and you live in another state. You don’t have to fly out here. If you own a home in one of the states we work with, you may be able to use it as collateral for a large California bail bond. You can do everything from your state, with a notary near you.
Call 855-BAD-CHAD (855-223-2423)Hablamos Español: (909) 657-6030
Why families trust Chad with a bond this big
Putting up your home for someone you love is a big decision, and you’re doing it from another state. You should know exactly who you’re dealing with.
You deal with Chad, start to finish.
When you call 855-BAD-CHAD, you get Chad, not a call center. He handles large bonds himself, from the first call to the release of your home.
Nearly 20 years in bail.
Licensed by the California Department of Insurance for more than 15 years (License #1845390, active and in good standing). Chad has written bonds of $2 million and more.
Your home gets full credit.
Chad looks at your property’s value several ways and presents the whole picture to the surety, the way a good mortgage broker would. A well-built package can mean a faster approval and a lower down payment.
The whole family, from wherever you live.
On large bonds Chad usually talks with three to five family members. We can do one conference call with everyone from their own homes, or call each of you separately.
The truth up front.
Every page is explained before you sign, in writing, with no sales lines. If something won’t work, Chad tells you, even when it costs him the bond.
Private, and no cold calls.
We never post about you or your case, never contact your employer, and never buy arrest data or cold-call families. No referral fees, ever.
How it works
- 1
Fill out the Large Bond Underwriting Authority form first. It’s the very first form we need, even before an application. Download it below, fill in what you can, and call us. We’ll help with the rest.
- 2
We get the home approved. We send the form to our surety. They check who owns each home and what it’s worth, then tell us which homes they’ll accept.
- 3
We send you your state’s form. Fill it out and send it back, or just send us the information it asks for and we’ll fill it out for you. Most people do some of both.
- 4
The surety checks the form. Don’t sign anything in front of a notary until we tell you it’s approved.
- 5
Get it notarized near you, with a witness. Use a mobile notary or a notary office close by, and have one witness there when you sign. Most people find one on their own, and we can help if you need it.
- 6
Email us a copy right away, and overnight the original to our office in Pomona. When someone is in jail, the copy can help us keep things moving.
- 7
When the case is over, the home is released. We’ll need the court’s minute order showing the bond was exonerated. Usually the defendant’s attorney can get it.
Step 1: the Large Bond Underwriting Authority form
This is the very first form we need from you, even before an application. On a large bond, our surety has to approve the bond and the home before anything else happens, and this form is how they do it.
Download the Large Bond Underwriting Authority form (PDF)- You can type right into the PDF, or print it and fill it out by hand.
- Fill in what you know about the person in custody, each cosigner, and every home you want to use: the address, the names on the title, the value and any loans.
- Leave the agent, powers and office-use sections blank. We fill those in.
- Don’t know something? Leave it blank and call us. We can also fill the whole form out with you over the phone.
The form asks for personal information, so send it only to us. We share it only with our surety for approval.
Pick your state
Live somewhere else? Call us. Our surety has forms for many other states, and we’ll tell you what yours needs.
What every cosigner should know, with any bail company
When you sign as a cosigner (also called an indemnitor) on a bail bond, you’re promising to pay if the person you’re helping misses court and the bond is forfeited. That’s true with any bail company, and it’s true whether or not you sign a form putting up your house.
If a cosigner doesn’t pay, the bail company can take them to court. Once there’s a judgment, California law lets it be collected by taking money from a paycheck (wage garnishment) or a bank account, and by putting a lien on property the person owns (California Courts Self-Help Guide).
Same responsibility, with or without a lien
Some agents tell homeowners, especially on bonds around $100,000, “We’re not taking your house.” Here’s the straight truth: when you sign as a cosigner, everything you own backs the bond, your house included. That’s what being a cosigner is, and it’s in the bail bond contract with every surety company.
Filing a lien on your house, or not filing one, is only a difference in procedure. It is not a difference in your responsibility. Your responsibility is the same either way.
This isn’t meant to worry you. If the person you’re helping goes to every court date, none of this ever comes into play. We just want you to choose your bail agent knowing the facts, not a sales line.
When we use your home as collateral, we tell you up front, it’s in writing, and the home is released when the case is over.
Paying the premium from out of state?
You don’t have to be in California to pay the premium. We take five ways to pay, plus Wire Transfer:
- Credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
- Zelle
- Apple Pay
- Venmo
- Cash App
- Wire Transfer
Payment plans are available. See payment plans
Most cases never have a PC 1275 hearing. If the court does order one in your case, we can help you put together the paperwork that shows where the money came from.
Every home is approved case by case by our surety, and forms and rules can change. This page is general information, not legal advice. Call us before you sign anything.