Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Bounty hunters are sent out when you fail to appear at a court hearing, and the court declares bail forfeited. That triggers a statutory time period for the bail bondsman to bring you back to court, to prevent a permanent forfeiture of the bond.

Your failure to pay the premiums or amount due, however, does give rise to a civil liability. If you signed a deed of trust to secure the premiums, you could end up in foreclosure. I would look at the paperwork that you signed with the bail bondsman very carefully.