Insurance Agent Who Kept Premium Money Loses License
Barry Zalma
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/.../agents-license-removed-fraud... and see the full video at https://rumble.com/v2b5io2-agents-license-removed-for... and at
Vincent Alexander, appealed the trial court judgment which affirmed the March 23, 2021 decision of the Louisiana Division of Administrative Law that revoked his insurance agency license. He appealed and the Louisiana Court of appeal reviewed the appeal in Vincent Alexander v. Louisiana Department Of Insurance, No. 2022 CA 0769, Court of Appeals of Louisiana, First Circuit (February 24, 2023)
FACTS
Alexander was an insurance agent licensed by the State of Louisiana, doing business as Vincent Alexander Insurance Agency (the agency). He was married to Tacey Ann Tolliver, who was also an insurance agent licensed at one time by the State of Louisiana and worked with him at the agency. Ms. Tolliver’s insurance license expired on August 31, 2018.
The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) received a complaint from Kendall Lewis, one of the agency’s customers, that was filed against Progressive Insurance Company (Progressive). In the complaint, Mr. Lewis stated he had paid premiums to the agency on a policy that went into effect December 7, 2018, but the policy was cancelled on January 22, 2019. Mr. Lewis provided premium receipts as proof of payment, dated from January 2019 to May 2019, of which were signed “T. Alexander.” Progressive informed Mr. Lewis that the policy was cancelled due to non-payment, but he was not made aware of the cancellation until he was involved in a motor vehicle accident.
LDI directed Mr. Alexander to respond to Mr. Lewis’s complaint and to explain why Mr. Lewis’s policy was cancelled despite his payment of premiums. Mr. Alexander failed to respond.
Representatives from Progressive met Ms. Tolliver at the agency, but Mr. Alexander was not present. Ms. Tolliver explained to the representatives that she began working there in 1997, and that she and Mr. Alexander were the only two employees of the agency. When the Progressive representatives asked Ms. Tolliver about her expired insurance license, she stated she was not aware that it had expired.
Progressive, for obvious reasons, terminated Alexander’s producer’s agreement with the agency, and the agency refunded to Mr. Lewis his premium payments and paid his reinstatement fees to the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) for not having vehicle insurance.
LDI then issued a Notice of Proposed Regulatory Action and Wrongful Conduct via certified mail to Mr. Alexander regarding Mr. Lewis’s complaint and the failure to pay the fine. On the same date, LDI mailed its intent to suspend and revoke Mr. Alexander’s license. After receiving multiple complaints similar to that of Mr. Lewis from other customers of the Agency LDI eventually notified Mr. Alexander of violations pursuant to La. R.S. 22:1554(A)(4), which provides for the suspension or revocation of an insurance license for “[u]sing fraudulent, coercive, or dishonest practices or misrepresentation, or demonstrating incompetence, untrustworthiness, or financial irresponsibility in the conduct of business such as might endanger the public.”
The Louisiana Division of Administrative Law (LDA) reviewed LDI’s decision, and, on March 23, 2021, signed an order affirming the revocation of Mr. Alexander’s insurance license.
LDA found that Mr. Alexander was particularly irresponsible in allowing Ms. Tolliver to run the business after he had been made aware of Mr. Lewis’s complaint, which then led to other consumer complaints being filed against the agency. Alexander appealed and after a full hearing the district court signed a judgment on November 16, 2021, affirming LDA’s decision to revoke his license. Mr. Alexander appealed to the Court of Appeal.
DISCUSSION
Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:1554(A) authorizes LDI to take a number of actions, including revocation of license, upon anyone who holds an insurance license issued by LDI, who commits any of a number of enumerated actions, which include “demonstrating incompetence, untrustworthiness, or financial irresponsibility in conduct of such business as might endanger the public. The judgment of the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, which affirmed the March 23, 2021 decision of the Louisiana Division of Administrative Law, thereby revoking the insurance license of the appellant, Vincent Alexander, was affirmed. All costs of the appeal were assessed to the appellant, Vincent Alexander.
ZALMA OPINION
The LDI properly revoked Mr. Alexander’s license. It took too long to do so because, while it was investigating, the Agency defrauded multiple additional customers by taking premium and not forwarding the funds to the insurer causing fully paid for policies to be cancelled for non-payment of premium. What Alexander and his wife did was criminal and just revoking their licenses is insufficient and the court should have referred them to the local prosecutor or the state Attorney General.
(c) 2023 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
Subscribe and receive videos limited to subscribers of Excellence in Claims Handling at locals.com https://zalmaoninsurance.locals.com/subscribe.
Go to substack at substack.com/refer/barryzalma Consider subscribing to my publications at substack at substack.com/refer/barryzalma
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders. He practiced law in California for more than 44 years as an insurance coverage and claims handling lawyer and more than 54 years in the insurance business. He is available at http://www.zalma.com and [email protected]
Write to Mr. Zalma at [email protected]; http://www.zalma.com; http://zalma.com/blog; daily articles are published at https://zalma.substack.com.
Go to the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://anchor.fm/barry-zalma; Follow Mr. Zalma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bzalma; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/c/c-262921; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://zalma.com/blog/insurance-claims-library
Subscribe and receive videos limited to subscribers of Excellence in Claims Handling at locals.com https://lnkd.in/gfFKUaTf.
Go to substack at https://lnkd.in/gEEnV7Dd Consider subscribing to my publications at substack at https://lnkd.in/gEEnV7Dd
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE is available at http://www.zalma.com and [email protected]
The Professional Claims Handler
Post 5218
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalma-philosophy-claims-handling-part-8-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-zdwsc, see the full video at https://rumble.com/v70zl4s-the-zalma-philosophy-of-claims-handling-part-8.html and at https://youtu.be/MIYcF71ffRQ, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.
Claims Commandment X – Thou Shall Not Pretend to be a Lawyer
Some experienced and professional claims people know the law in their area of expertise better than most lawyers.
Adjusters should be adjusters and leave lawyering to lawyers. Similarly, lawyers should be lawyers and never try to be adjusters.
Claims Commandment XI – Thou Shall Empathize With the Claimant
Everyone presenting a claim is unhappy, disturbed, shocked, injured and needs help.
Empathy is identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives. It is the ability to understand another person’s circumstances, point of view, thoughts, and feelings....
HOW TO CREATE AN EXCELLENCE IN CLAIMS HANDLING PROGRAM
See the full video at https://rumble.com/v70wb2i-the-zalma-philosophy-of-claims-handling-part-6.html and at https://youtu.be/tL5nDKPEs40 and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.
Post 5217
This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry.
An Excellence in Claims Handling program begins with a statement in the insurer’s claims manual or statement of professionalism that it is dedicated to providing excellence in claims handling to every insured who presents a claim.
The excellence in claims handling program should include, at a minimum:
A series of lectures supported by text materials explaining:
A definition of insurance.
How to read and understand an insurance policy.
How to interview an insured, witness, or claimant.
How to assist an insured in the insured’s obligation to ...
The Professional Claims Handler
Post 5216
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalma-philosophy-claims-handling-part-5-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-jde8c, see the full video at https://rumble.com/v70q4x8-the-zalma-philosophy-of-claims-handling-part-5.html and at https://youtu.be/6b9tZQsEkB4, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.
This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry.
Standards to be a Professional Claims Adjuster
The Insurance claims professional should be a person who:
1. Can read and understand the insurance policies issued by the insurer.
2. Understands the promises made by the policy.
3. Understand their obligation, as an insurer’s claims staff, to fulfill the promises made.
4. Are competent investigators.
5. Have empathy and recognize the difference between empathy and sympathy.
6. ...
The Professional Claims Handler
Post 5219
Posted on October 31, 2025 by Barry Zalma
An Insurance claims professionals should be a person who:
Can read and understand the insurance policies issued by the insurer.
Understands the promises made by the policy.
Understand their obligation, as an insurer’s claims staff, to fulfill the promises made.
Are competent investigators.
Have empathy and recognize the difference between empathy and sympathy.
Understand medicine relating to traumatic injuries and are sufficiently versed in tort law to deal with lawyers as equals.
Understand how to repair damage to real and personal property and the value of the repairs or the property.
Understand how to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement with the insured that is fair and reasonable to both the insured and the insurer.
How to Create Claims Professionals
To avoid fraudulent claims, claims of breach of contract, bad faith, punitive damages, unresolved losses, and to make a profit, insurers ...
The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert
The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail
Post 5210
This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.
My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster
When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.
I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...
The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert
The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail
Post 5210
This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.
My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster
When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.
I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...
