You might have seen bounty hunters in movies where they’re always acting rough and ruthless in order to capture their target. It turns out that’s fairly accurate because they don’t have to follow most of the rules that govern other folks. This makes them quite a big threat.
That’s why when a bounty hunter broke into this couple’s house, they were terrified out of their minds. It only happened because their son had skipped out on a bail bond, and since he owed a hefty sum, his tracker was extremely persistent.
It’s terrifying if someone breaks into your home, but it’s even worse if you legally can’t do anything about it
Image credits: nikitabuida / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster shared that a bounty hunter entered their house by breaking a window and claimed he saw their 42-year-old son, who had skipped out on his bail
Image credits: Atlas Green / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Even though the couple’s son has not lived there for ten years, the bounty hunter said that he “saw him through the window,” which was enough probable cause for him to break in
Image credits: Ok_Engineer_7359
In another post, the author also mentioned that several bail bond agents turned up at their door in tactical gear, demanding to be let in
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The bail bond agents and bounty hunter have forced their way into the couple’s home thrice and bullied them over a $1000 bond that their son owes
Image credits: Ok_Engineer_7359
The poster was terrified by their home constantly being invaded by the bail bond bounty hunter and asked if it's legal for them to enter homes without a warrant or by breaking in
The OP explained that bail bondsmen and a bounty hunter had searched through their house for their 42-year-old son. This had happened multiple times and caused them a lot of stress and tension. The couple didn’t even know that their son had been in trouble until the agents showed up looking for him.
The poster’s son apparently owes $1000 as bail and skipped out on it. There are many defendants who can’t secure the entire amount to get bailed from jail so they get help from bail bond companies. In situations where the borrowers don’t return their money in a timely manner, bounty hunters (also called bail enforcement agents) might be hired to retrieve the sum.
In this case, the bail retriever took extreme measures and broke into the couple’s house. They couldn’t fathom something like that being legal, so when they reported it to the police, they were even more shocked to learn that “bounty hunters have different rules.” Apparently, even breaking down a door is okay as long as there’s probable cause.
A regular bail bond agent has to follow federal rules and regulations and cannot break these laws to recover the money, whereas bounty hunters can go to extremes. Since the OP mentioned that they’re from Michigan, it’s important to know that the state authorizes bounty hunting and lets them even work without a license.
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
It’s obvious the couple were traumatized by having their home broken into thrice. The agents also showed up at odd hours, terrorized the OP’s blind husband, and basically bullied them. Nobody wants their house to be invaded in such a manner, nor so many times, but unfortunately, there’s not a lot the law can do about it.
Bail bounty hunters are allowed to use excessive means to capture their targets. In states like Michigan, they are also allowed to carry firearms. The lack of legal regulation on these agents makes it tougher for an innocent homeowner to protect themselves or prevent situations like this story from happening.
It seems almost useless, then, to try and file a case against the bounty hunter who broke in since the state lets them play fast and loose with the law. It’s possible the couple could have escaped such severe consequences by signing onto their son’s bond as his indemnitor and taking the responsibility of paying it off in case he didn’t.
The only problem was that they didn’t know their son was in trouble, and he hadn’t been to their house for ten years. The only possible hope in such a situation is for the man to turn up and pay off his bond so that his parents can live in peace in their home.
How would you have dealt with this situation if you were in the OP’s shoes?
Netizens informed the poster that the bounty hunter could technically enter their house and that the best course of action would be to contact a lawyer regarding the situation
