N.M. Code R. § 13.20.2.20 – Collateral Security or Other Indemnity

A. Permissible forms. Collateral security may be in the form of cash or negotiable instruments, a mortgage on real property, personal property, or a lien on personal property.
B. Receipt required. A bail bondsman shall issue a receipt for collateral or security deposited with him or her that includes the following information:
1. (1) the depositor’s name, address and date of birth;
2. (2) the defendant’s name;
3. (3) a description and the actual or estimated value of the collateral or security deposited;
4. (4) a description of the condition of the collateral or security at the time it is received by the bail bondsman;
5. (5) the printed name and the signature of the person receiving the deposited collateral or security; and
6. (6) an acknowledgement that the collateral or security has been returned to the depositor, the date returned, and to whom.
C. Reasonable amount. A bail bondsman may charge or accept collateral or security or other indemnity that is of reasonable value in relation to the amount of the bond. No collateral or security in tangible property may be retained, sold or otherwise disposed of upon default of the premium payment. The bail bondsman’s aggregate interest in any combination of collateral, security or real property shall be limited to one hundred percent of the amount of the bond.
D. Return of collateral. Except for the premium on the bond and any expenses incurred in extraterritorial recovery, a bail bondsman shall return to the client any collateral not forfeited to a court within 10 days of final termination of liability on the bond, as evidenced by receipt of the judgment and sentence in the case, a certificate of discharge, or an order releasing the bond. The client may retrieve the collateral at the bail bondsman’s place of business or the bail bondsman may deliver the collateral to the client in a manner or at a location agreeable to the client. A bail bondsman shall not use collateral to pay for expenses of recovering a defendant who fails to appear.
E. Unclaimed collateral. A bail bondsman shall maintain and dispose of any unclaimed collateral in accordance with the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, Sections 7-8A-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.
[13 NMAC 20.2.20 - Rp, 13.20.2.21 NMAC, 7/11/17]