Welcome to our Tennessee Association of Professional Bail agents web pages.  Your 2008 Board of Directors wishes to thank you for supporting us as we move forward to improve our association.  This last month has been full of changes and new direction for all of us.  We wish Missy the very best and hope all is well with her.  That being said there is much to do and many task presently at hand.  First we contracted McBride and Assoc. from Sparta TN. to tackle our accounting and daily operation of TAPBA.  Please be patient during this transition period as we develop a working relationship with Pat and Janie.  Pat is an accountant and will keep our books and banking in proper order.  Janie is a Legal Secretary by profession and will handle the daily operation of our office and assist the Board of Directors and Officers as requested.  Janie will set up our Continuing Education sites and registration tables the day of class.  Wish them the best of luck in dealing with 1500 plus bondsman.

2008 has brought changes that once were thought unattainable.  The “detainer” bill as we call it had been ongoing for almost 8 years but with hard work by our Lobbyists, Pope and Nolan, long hours on the floor and late nights at the Capital she passed.  This was a great victory for bondsmen all across Tennessee and should save all of us in the industry thousands of dollars in final judgment cost!!!  However our task is not complete.  This is an election year which means many of our friends in Nashville need our help.  I previously mentioned in our newsletter ‘Share the Responsibility’ regarding contributing to the ‘Tennessee Volunteer PAC Fund’.  I ask all Company owners to donate $250.00 and every bail agent or fugitive recovery agent to contribute $100.00 each year.  With your contribution we could accomplish much legislatively each and every session.  Don't be one of those who lets a few do the work of our entire industry. 

The newly elected Board has several ideas they hope will improve TAPBA, one of which is to provide separate classes for bail agents and fugitive recovery agents.  Giving fugitive recovery agents 8 hours of class directly related to locating and apprehension of failures to appear, along with the statutes they must follow.  Another is to set our membership on a fiscal year July 1 thru June 30 each year with a voting eligibility cut off December 31.  We could then provide a list of qualified members for nomination in January for the Board of Directors election at the May annual meeting each year.

Having recently completing a review of all suggestions and complaints submitted to TAPBA from attendees of continuing education classes in 2007 and 2008 I felt I should reply to those concerns.  Your current Board of Directors has taken steps to ensure there will be ample space with tables at each future class.

Only those who pre-register for a class will receive a certificate the day of class, all others will be mailed within 7 days.  Those registering the day of class will be directed to a separate area to be processed and make payment for class attendance.  This will require less time for our pre-registered bondsman the day of class and only those who have registered and paid in full shall be considered to have completed the pre-registration process.  Anyone who for whatever reason fails to attend a class that has been paid for in advance will receive a refund and must repeat the process prior to attending a class.

I look forward to meeting each of you in the near future!

Thank You,