'Bailiffs do they have bounty hunters?'

[mikeymack2002]

I was watching a program in the early hours of this morning from an American tv reality show I was very surprised to see that in some states they have Constables to do evictions. Some of them have 'Bounty Hunters" so to speak where the agent pays a bounty to a 'snitch' for information as to the whereabouts of the person they wanted to evict or get money from.

 

I found this very strange indeed. As there is a lot of money to be made for this service, especially if the Constable gets their man so to speak...

 

Is this sort of information gathering used by UK enforcement where a bonus is paid to the informant? If this does happen is it just a few EA'S that do this or does it not happen? I am very curious about this practice in the States and wandered if it happens here? Your thoughts thanks

 

MM

[lookinforinfo]

Mikey, I am not sure you have the right end of the stick regarding bounty hunters. They usually act independently of Police and do a lot more than just act as a "grass".

Perhaps this website will help as it advises people how to become full time bounty hunters-http://www.bountyhunteredu.org/careers

[brassnecked]

Any truth in the rumour that Clair Sandbrook wants to be Dog's sidekick (Dog the Bounty Hunter)

[caledfwlch]

Mickey - in the US, a "Constable" is not a normal "on the beat" Police Officer, but an Officer of the local Police Department who handles evictions for that area.

 

The reason is mainly A: an armed Law Enforcement Officer is going to get less trouble, and B: Bailiff's or anything like them do not exist in the US - Notice on "Repo" shows the Repo people try to move in grab the car/bike and get the hell out quickly without the debtor noticing. Debt Collectors tend not to visit in person either.

 

This is all because Americans take their homes and their home security extremely seriously, and are allowed guns. If a Bailiff attempted to enforce in the US he would likely get shot and the debtor would get away with it, "Sorry Officer, thought he was a burglar, he didnt identify himself"

 

Bounty Hunters are Civilians given a Warrant, so that if people skip bail, miss court appearences and so on, the Bounty Hunters go after them to arrest and take them to prison. You will notice that the most famous one, Dog and his team never carries anything "stronger"than pepper spray and paint ball guns, because Dog is a convicted Felon who did time in a Federal Penitentiary, and is thus not allowed to own firearms (I don't understand how he even gets a bounty hunter warrant with his conviction)

 

Bounty Hunters don't work for or with the Police, they are passed the arrest requests by Bail Bondsmen - as the Suspect is skipping bail, or not keeping contact with the Bondsman, the Bondsman risks loosing Bail money, thus sends the Bounty Hunters to get that person locked up in the local Jail, and thus save the Bail Bond.

 

It's a bloody stupid system to have, that Bail is provided by a private 3rd party, if you can afford the payments...

[mikeymack2002]

I already know this lol

[Peterbard]

I already know this lol

 

I can see the parallels though MM in that they both use physical means to enforce judgments and enhance their personal wealth.

[caledfwlch]

This Gem, from a US Debt Board sums up exactly why they dont have Bailiffs and Debt Collectors don't show up unless they know their potential victim is vulnerable enough to be harassed and threatened.

 

I live in Texas, and would look forward to one of their detectives coming to my door. Oh, I have Texas CWP but at home on my premises I wear my 38 openly at all times, and next to my recliner when sleeping. If they do come to my home, I would not recommend them exhibiting any threatening behavior. My reasons for carrying are carjackers, homeinvaders and jihadists, but I won't be physically threatened but once by a debt collector at my door in which case I will confront and stop the threat. He may serve me any papers he likes however.

 

I have to wonder how likely he thinks "Jihadists" will try and attack his home though. I think the CWP means Covert Weapons Permit, which means he can carry a gun whilst out shopping, or whatever, but keep it hidden.

 

I reckon that the US way of evictions is surprisingly perhaps a fair bit better than the UK's - I was watching a show following a Constable in Las Vegas, and he was performing some evictions in a proper rough looking crime ridden ghetto, and yet, he encountered no problems whatsover, the eviction being performed by a polite City Official, rather than some private contractor seems to make quite a difference.

 

In France, Huissiers have much nastier powers than UK Bailiffs, BUT they are very, very rarely used, Huissiers are State Officials, and so not being profit/target driven are generally able to hold amiable negotiations and arrange fair payment plans. The only people who will suffer the wrath of a Huissier scorned are those who are very much in the Won't Pay category. When looking up various things, I was astonished at how backwards some areas around consumer & civil issues and rights was in supposedly modern liberal nations. The German version of a Capita Thug banging on the door to demand to know why you havent bought a licence, wont be stopped by you refusing to answer, he will simply force the door to inspect the property, though again, I think is a state official.

 

The frightening thing for our EU Cousins, is whilst they do have extreme or unfair versions of what we have in the UK, they are also starting to privatise some of them.

[Peterbard]

read somewhere that texas has the lowest rate of road rage in the western world. They put it down to the fact that everyone wears a gun. i dont know how true it is or if it necessarily a good thing.

[caledfwlch]

I suspect it really is down to the Gun thing.

 

Imagine the most batpoo crazy, Federal Government hating Libertarian Christian bigoted Southern State American you can think of. For a Texan, double that picture. Except when it suits their purposes, I think a lot of Texans dont even particularly consider themselves to even be American, they seem to identify with their State far more than people in any other State, the Republic of Texas movement has even set up its own State Senate iirc, it of course has no power, but, where Southerners still claim that the "South will Rise Again" the Texans want Texas to rise again, as a sovereign Nation. We are talking about people who would scare the pants of the most fierce Appalachian Rednecks.

 

http://thetexasrepublic.com/

 

Ironically, the Confederate States were legally speaking in the Right to Secede, it is a voluntary Union and Abraham Lincoln broke the law by declaring War to force them back into the Union.

[mikeymack2002]

If you want to see the worst of the worst look at the Russian versions an eye opening viewing....

[caledfwlch]

Seizing Cats and other Pets?

 

We can't be too Sneery, Labour desperately wanted to give Bailiffs the right to seize family pets in their thankfully mostly aborted attempt which also included giving Bailiffs the power to use Force to physically restrain a debtor in order to search for their wallet and seize any cash and mobile phones on their person. I think it may have been around that time that they sneaked the right for Bailiffs collecting fines to use forced entry in the Domestic Abuse Bill.

[Peterbard]

Thats

 

The Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004

 

[brassnecked]

Seizing Cats and other Pets?

 

We can't be too Sneery, Labour desperately wanted to give Bailiffs the right to seize family pets in their thankfully mostly aborted attempt which also included giving Bailiffs the power to use Force to physically restrain a debtor in order to search for their wallet and seize any cash and mobile phones on their person. I think it may have been around that time that they sneaked the right for Bailiffs collecting fines to use forced entry in the Domestic Abuse Bill.

 

Don't forget the rip the wedding ring off the widow's finger, and late husband's Timex from her wrist. Good job that part allowing physical force was taken out