[UCANSEE2]

So then if Zimmerman’s parents and grandmother posted their houses to cover the $150,000 Bond to the court, then who did Zimmerman pay his $15,000 Bail to????

The relatives posted their houses as a guarantee against the bond. (I.E. the bondsman has a 'lien' against the property). The BONDSMAN still gets the 10% for putting up the bond. Should the defendant skip bond, then the bondsman has COLLATERAL to recoop his bond money, by putting the houses up for sale and collecting any proceeds from those sales.

Am I explaining this clearly?

When you have to have someone 'bail' you out, the bondsman want family who OWN a home to COSIGN. Just giving them the 10% will usually not be enough. They aren't in the business of losing the FULL AMOUNT of the bond every time come criminal decides to flee. They ask for GUARANTEES.

Have you ever had to go to a bondsman to bail someone out?

[Uncle Chip]

So then in order for a defendant to get out on Bond/Bail, he has to post collateral equal to the Bond, as well as an additional 10% of the Bond as Bail which he never sees back.

What a racket. Where is the risk for the bail bondsman. He can't lose in that deal. Why would he need Dog the Bounty Hunter when it has cost him nothing??

It seems to me that there are a lot of people around here that are out on bail that have nothing to collateralize a bond. I wonder how they do it? Thanks for the info.