A Houston Chronicle review shows 500 current and former bond companies and individuals still owe taxpayers more than $26 million in default judgments, some dating back decades.

On any given day, 13,000 accused criminals are out on bail in county courts with bond companies holding guarantees worth $125 million or more. That means bondsmen pledged money and assets as insurance that suspects will show for their day in court. About 5 percent of the clients fail to show, various studies show.

Bondsmen make money by collecting 10 percent off the top in fees, and they also can seize and sell assets from the accused or from family members when clients fail to keep their promises.

The business is regulated by an 11-member Harris County Bail Bond Board, which decides who gets and keeps licenses and which bondsmen should be disciplined for failure to pay. The board has not suspended or revoked any bondsman's license in seven years, records show.

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