2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 10 - INSURANCE (§§ 10-1-101 — 10-23-110) › CASH-BONDING AGENTS (§§ 10-23-101 — 10-23-110) › Article 23 - CASH-BONDING AGENTS (§§ 10-23-101 — 10-23-110) › Section 10-23-108 - Bail bond documents - requirements - rules

(1)
The professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent who posts a bail bond with the court on behalf of a defendant shall ensure that the following documents comply with the following provisions:
(a)
An indemnity agreement must:
(I)
Be in writing;
(II)
Be signed by the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent;
(III)
Be signed by the defendant or indemnitor;
(IV)
Set forth the amount of bail set in the case, the name of the defendant released on the bail bond, the court case number if available, the court where the bond is executed, the premium charged, the amount and type of collateral held by the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent, and the conditions under which the collateral is returned;
(V)
Contain documentation that the indemnitor has received copies of signed and dated disclosure forms; and
(VI)
If the defendant or indemnitor is illiterate or does not read English, contain a note on the indemnity agreement that the agent or a third party has read or translated the agreement to the defendant or indemnitor and be affixed with an affidavit to the indemnity agreement attesting that the document was translated;
(b)
A promissory note must be:
(I)
In writing;
(II)
Signed by the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent; and
(III)
Signed by the defendant or indemnitor;
(c)
A collateral receipt must:
(I)
Be dated;
(II)
Be in writing;
(III)
Be signed by the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent;
(IV)
Be signed by the defendant or indemnitor;
(V)
Be prenumbered;
(VI)
Contain a full description of the collateral, including the condition of the collateral at the time it is taken into custody; and
(VII)
Set forth the amount of bail set in the case, the name of the defendant released on the bail bond, the court case number, the court where the bond is executed, the premium charged, the amount and type of collateral held by the agent, and the conditions under which the collateral is returned;
(d)
A bail bond revocation request must be:
(I)
Dated;
(II)
In writing;
(III)
Signed by the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent; and
(IV)
Signed by the defendant or indemnitor.
(2)
(a)
Before accepting consideration, the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent shall commit to writing, sign, date, and obtain the defendant's or indemnitor's signature on an arrangement for the payment of all or part of the premium, commission, or fee, including the payment schedule. The signature of the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent is not an obligation to pay any debt owed to a lender. To be enforceable, interest and financial charges on any unpaid premium must comply with the "Uniform Consumer Credit Code", articles
1
to
9
of title
5
, C.R.S.
(b)
Before accepting consideration or taking collateral, the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent shall provide, in a form prescribed by the commissioner, a disclosure statement to each defendant and indemnitor detailing the terms of the bail bond.
(3)
(a)
A professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent who accepts consideration for a bail bond or undertaking shall, for each payment received, provide to the person tendering payment a prenumbered, signed receipt containing the following:
(I)
The date;
(II)
The defendant's name;
(III)
A description of the consideration and amount of money received;
(IV)
The purpose for which it was received;
(V)
The penal sum of the bail bond;
(VI)
The name of the person tendering payment; and
(VII)
The terms under which the money or other consideration is released.
(b)
The professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent shall provide the person tendering payment a signed and dated receipt for each premium payment listing the amount paid.
(3.5)
(a)
If the bond is to be secured by real estate, the bail bonding agent shall provide the property owner with a written disclosure statement in the following form at the time an initial application is filed:
Disclosure of lien against real property
Do not sign this document until you read and understand it! This bail bond will be secured by real property you own or in which you have an interest. Failure to pay the bail bond premiums when due or the defendant's failure to comply with the conditions of bail could result in the loss of your property!
(b)
The disclosure required in paragraph (a) of this subsection (3.5) shall be printed in fourteen-point, bold-faced type either:
(I)
On a separate and specific document attached to or accompanying the application; or
(II)
In a clear and conspicuous statement on the face of the application.
(c)
Before a property owner executes any instrument creating a lien against real property, the bail bonding agent shall provide the property owner with a completed copy of the instrument creating the lien against real property and the disclosure statement described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (3.5). If a bail bonding agent fails to comply fully with the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (3.5) and this paragraph (c), any instrument creating a lien against real property shall be voidable.
(d)
(I)
The bonding agent shall deliver to the property owner a fully executed and notarized reconveyance of title, a certificate of discharge, or a full release of any lien against real property that secures performance of the conditions of a bail bond within thirty-five days after receiving notice that the time for appealing an order that exonerated the bail bond has expired. The bonding agent shall also deliver to the property owner the original canceled note, as evidence that the indebtedness secured by any lien instrument has been paid or that the purposes of the instrument have been fully satisfied, and the original deed of trust, security agreement, or other instrument that secured the bail bond obligation. If a timely notice of appeal is filed, the thirty-five-day period begins on the day the appellate court's affirmation of the order becomes final.
(II)
If the bonding agent fails to comply with the requirements of this subsection (3.5)(d), the property owner may petition the district court to issue an order directing the clerk of the court to execute a full reconveyance of title, a certificate of discharge, or a full release of any lien against real property created to secure performance of the conditions of the bail bond. To be accepted by the court, the petition must be verified and allege facts showing that the bonding agent has failed to comply with the provisions of this subsection (3.5)(d).
(III)
(A)
If a bonding agent fails to comply with this subsection (3.5)(d), the property owner may file a complaint with the commissioner requesting that the commissioner petition a district court to file for record a full release of any lien against real property securing performance of the conditions of the bail bond.
(B)
To be accepted by the commissioner, the complaint must be verified and allege facts showing that the bonding agent has failed to comply with this subsection (3.5)(d). The complaint must include a copy of the lien the property owner is requesting be released.
(C)
Upon receipt of a verified complaint meeting the requirements of subsection (3.5)(d)(III)(B) of this section, the commissioner shall mail a copy of the complaint to the bonding agent at the bonding agent's last-known address.
(D)
If the time for appealing an order that exonerated the bail bond has expired at least three years before the complaint is filed, and if the commissioner does not receive a reply from the bonding agent contesting the release of the lien within thirty-five days after mailing the complaint required in subsection (3.5)(d)(III)(C) of this section, the commissioner may petition the district court to issue an order directing the clerk of the court to execute a full reconveyance of title, a certificate of discharge, or a full release of any lien against real property created to secure performance of the conditions of the bail bond. Upon the court issuing an order executing a full reconveyance of title, issuing a certificate of discharge, or releasing the lien, the commissioner shall send a copy of the lien release documents to the bonding agent.
(E)
If the commissioner receives, within thirty-five days after mailing the complaint to the bonding agent, a reply from the bonding agent contesting the factual basis of the property owner's complaint, the commissioner shall inform the property owner that the property owner must petition the district court to release the lien.
(e)
Any bail bonding agent who violates this subsection (3.5) shall be liable to the property owner for all damages that may be sustained by reason of the violation, plus statutory damages in the sum of three hundred dollars. The property owner shall be entitled to recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees, as determined by the court, upon prevailing in any action brought to enforce the provisions of this subsection (3.5).
(4)
The professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent shall prepare or execute separate agreements and documents for each time the agent posts a bail bond with the court. The agent shall give the indemnitor a copy of each document executed in the course of the bail bond transaction.
(5)
For three years after the date of discharge of a bail bond and return of any collateral or proof of notice to the defendant or indemnitor that any promissory note has been satisfied, the professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent shall keep at the agent's business, copies of each receipt, indemnity agreement, bond, disclosure statement, payment plan, bond revocation request, or other document or information related to the bond transaction and shall make these documents available for inspection by the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized representative during normal business hours.
(6)
The indemnitor may be the defendant.
(7)
The commissioner may examine the business practices, books, and records of any professional cash-bail agent or cash-bonding agent as often as the commissioner deems appropriate.
Amended by 2017 Ch. 312,§ 3, eff. 8/9/2017.
Amended by 2013 Ch. 202,§ 9, eff. 5/11/2013.
L. 2012: Entire article added with relocations, (HB 12-1266), ch. 280, p. 1522, § 41, effective July 1. L. 2013: (3.5) added, (HB 13-1236), ch. 202, p. 842, § 9, effective May 11. L. 2017: (3.5)(d) amended, (SB 17-236), ch. 312, p. 1678, § 3, effective August 9.