“I don't recall how much the bail bond was, but it was huge, and they knew that I couldn’t afford it,” Lewis-Sonza, 45, said. When Sherrie Lewis-Sonza’s son was arrested a few years ago, she agreed to co-sign his bond with All-Pro Bail Bonds, a company that has more than 20 locations throughout the state and offers a 20% discount to union members.
As part of the payment plan, incarcerated folks are required to have a co-signer - basically a guarantor on a loan - and a lot of times friends or family members serve as guarantors. Instead, people can put a small amount down and then commit to a payment plan for the rest of the premium. But many people can’t afford even those premium charges, which could still be several thousand dollars. To get around this, bail bonds companies will charge a nonrefundable premium to secure the rest of the loan. That’s more than five times the median in the rest of the country. It’s very common for people who get arrested to not have even close to the amount they’d need to post bail - especially in California, where research shows the state’s median bail amount is $50,000. The filings also seek restitution in the form of refunds for people who were affected by this practice. This week's filings ask that bail contracts where the co-signer wasn’t provided this documentation be declared invalid and unenforceable. “Those notices would have explained to people the consequences of co-signing, including that the bail bond companies could come after them for the balance of those loans, even without going to the person who had been arrested first,” Salahi added.Īccording to a 2021 California appellate court decision, people who co-sign bail bonds are entering into a consumer credit loan contract and are protected by a part of California consumer protection law that mandates creditors provide notices that make clear to people what they are liable for when they co-sign on a debt. Yaman Salahi, a partner at Edelson’s San Francisco office, told KQED that the contracts could affect a co-signer’s credit, while also exposing them to lawsuits and wage garnishment. The filings seek to void existing contracts and seek restitution in the form of refunds for people who’ve co-signed bail bond contracts without getting state-mandated notices that make clear what that obligation entails. Edelson has proposed that both be expanded into class actions.
#ALADIN BAILBONDS PC#
Building on a court victory from late last year, the law firm Edelson PC has filed suits against two of the largest bail bonds companies in California, Aladdin Bail Bonds and All-Pro Bail Bonds.
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