Spotlight on Tommy Weatherholtz of Weatherholtz Bonding

• May 17, 2010
• by Collateral Staff

AboutBail.com Staff interviewed member Tommy Weatherholtz of Weatherholtz Bonding to find out just what being a Bail Agent is all about! Weatherholtz shares with readers his first days of breaking into the bail business to his most challenging encounters to his day-to-day working life in the industry.

How did you get started in the Bail industry?
I had just finished my first tour in the Marine Corps and was offered a position with a company.

What is the size of your agency/company?
Our office is in Martinsburg, WV, and we have seven bail agents.

What areas do you cover?
We personally cover the (Hampshire, Hardy, Pendleton, Mineral, Grant, Tucker, Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, and Monongalia Counties) 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 17th Judicial Circuits in WV, and all of Maryland. Through our underwriter, we can provide nationwide service via transfer bonds.

What associations do you belong to?
I belong to the WV Bail Association and PBUS.

What is your favorite aspect of the job?
I think it would be helping people and making money doing it.

What other types of services do you offer?
We offer fugitive recovery and process service.

Do you employ a bounty hunter?
We do our own recoveries unless the defendant is too far away.

What is the hardest part of your day-to-day business?
I think the hardest part of the day is trying to compete with these bail bond companies that are charging low percentages. In our area, we have a 4%, 3% and even a 2.5%.

Are there any specific crimes in which you wouldn't post bail for the accused?
I strongly feel that it is not our position to judge or convict the defendant. I did refuse one bond where the defendant had raped an infant. The evidence was overwhelming and I believed that it made the defendant an extremely high flight risk.

What is the most exciting skip-trace you've encountered?
I received a tip that a skip was at the Indy 500 in Indianapolis. We went there and found the hotel he was staying at and while doing surveillance, we spotted the defendant who was drinking and carrying on in the parking lot. I did not want to approach him right away because he had too many avenues of escape, so I sat patiently and waited for him to walk into the room. While waiting, he walked up to the front of my vehicle which the windows were tinted to the point that you could not see into the vehicle. He cracked another beer and was leaning on my vehicle. I thought for sure he had spotted us. However, he didn't and when he turned his back to us, we took him into custody.

What initially drew you to advertise with AboutBail.com?
The wide range of search engines that would take you to AboutBail.com when searching for various bail bonding issues. I like the fact that you can search by counties to find a bondsman. I was at a PBUS convention in Las Vegas and you had a display set up. I inquired, and was pleased with the inexpensive price to advertise.

What has your experience been with AboutBail.com?
Everyone that I have dealt with has been extremely polite and helpful. My wife and I went to the VIP party at the Flamingo in Las Vegas and had a blast!

What advice would you give to someone who is just beginning in the bail bond industry?
I would say to always make sure that you have solid indemnitors and good paperwork. Unfortunately, I have become complacent with repeat customers and they always seem to be the ones to burn you.

Where do you see your business and the bail bond industry going in the future?
I see the business expanding to cover more areas. The bail industry is very debatable. I think that there are a lot of bad apples out there that give the industry a black eye. Fortunately, for every bad bondsman or bounty hunter, there are twice as many good bail bondsmen/bounty hunters who are helping the industry. PBUS and the other state associations that are fighting politically to defend our rights is a huge asset.

Are you a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person?
Half empty. When I look at a glass that is half empty, I want to fill it up.

What do you look forward to every day working in the bail industry?
Again, I enjoy helping people in their time of need.

What do you do outside of work?
Outside of work, I juggle my time between my family, the gym, and riding my Harley. In this business, there is not a lot of down time.

What is your favorite quote?
I am an old jarhead, so I would have to say that my favorite quote would be from Thomas Pain: "If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace."