Public Adjuster Jim Beneke sent out the following invitation to over four hundred licensed public adjusters in Texas:

You are invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the Texas Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (TAPIA). The meeting is being held at the Hotel Derek in Houston, Texas on October 15, 2009 from 10:00am until 3:00pm. There is no charge to attend this meeting, which will also include lunch.

 Please register for the meeting on the TAPIA website, mytapia.org, where you will also find an application for membership that includes information about the membership fee. You are encouraged to join TAPIA before the annual meeting, although the opportunity to join will also be available at that time. Future TAPIA meetings will be for members only.

 On the agenda for the October 15th meeting, in addition to business items regarding the organization, is a discussion of the current issue with the Texas Department of Insurance regarding the public adjuster’s fee cap and other contract-related items. Attorneys David Weber and Kim Yelkin from Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP will be there to lead the discussion. Also on the agenda is attorney William “Chip” Merlin from Merlin Law Group who will present valuable information for public adjusters on the topic of The Unauthorized Practice of Law.

 On behalf of the TAPIA board, I strongly encourage you to become a TAPIA member and attend the annual meeting. We are at a critical time in the development of our industry in Texas and need the participation of all pubic adjusters to make certain that consumers receive the best service possible. (emphasis added)

The importance of TAPIA as an organization serving consumers cannot be overemphasized. The insurance industry is supposed to serve its customers, but rarely do I see any insurance industry executives leading the charge to self-regulate or promote laws that protect their own customers from improper treatment. The only licensed individuals, other than attorneys, that stand up for the interests of policyholders are public adjusters. It is no wonder that many in the insurance claims industry are antagonistic to them.

I feel fortunate to speak at this inaugural meeting and look forward to providing an informative and worthwhile presentation to all in attendance.

If you are a licensed public adjuster in Texas, you have to be at this important meeting.