EXHIBIT 10 (a)

                           CLAIM ACCOUNT AGREEMENT


 THIS AGREEMENT is  made and  entered into  as of  February 1,  2001, by  and
 between  GE  Reinsurance  Corporation,  Lincolnshire,  Illinois  ("GE  Re"),
 Dorinco  Reinsurance  Company,   Midland,  Michigan  ("Dorinco"),   American
 Hallmark Insurance Company  of Texas, Dallas,  Texas ("AHIC"), and  Hallmark
 Claims Services, Inc., Dallas, Texas ("HCS"), collectively "the parties".

 WHEREAS, GE Re and  Dorinco are quota share  reinsurers of State and  County
 Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Fort Worth,  Texas ("State and County")  with
 respect to  certain  business produced  by  and through  Associated  General
 Agency ("AGA") under a  100% Reinsurance Agreement  effective March 1,  1998
 and terminated on  a run  off basis  effective June  30, 2000  ("Reinsurance
 Agreement"); and

 WHEREAS, GE Re and Dorinco have  37.5% and 62.5% shares respectively in  the
 Reinsurance Agreement; and

 WHEREAS, Dorinco  retrocedes  40% of  its  62.5% share  in  the  Reinsurance
 Agreement to AHIC under a Retrocession Agreement effective March 1, 1998 and
 terminated on a run off basis effective June 30, 2000 ("Retro"); and

 WHEREAS, AGA has subcontracted with HCS to perform certain policy  servicing
 and claim handling functions on behalf of AGA; and

 WHEREAS, the parties desire to establish a Claim Account to be funded by  GE
 Re, Dorinco, and AHIC in the aggregate  amount of $500,000, each to fund  in
 proportion to its respective interest (i.e., 37.5% GE Re, 37.5% Dorinco, and
 25% AHIC) for the purpose of  facilitating the payment of claims subject  to
 the Reinsurance Agreement and Retro during the run off without resorting  to
 cash calls.  The Claim Account is to be administered by HCS.

 NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

 1.   As promptly as  possible after February  1, 2001, GE  Re, Dorinco,  and
      AHIC will deposit  the following  amounts in  Account No.  004770648879
      (the "Claim Account") at  Bank of America,  Dallas, Texas, ABA  Routing
      No. 111000025:

                          GE Re:         $187,500
                          Dorinco:       $187,500
                          AHIC:          $125,000

 2.   HCS is  authorized to  transfer funds  from the  Claim Account  to  the
      Premium Trust Account under the Reinsurance Agreement as needed  solely
      for the purpose of paying loss  and loss adjustment expenses under  the
      terms of  the  Reinsurance  Agreement and  Retro.    From  the  monthly
      accounting rendered under  the Reinsurance Agreement,  HCS shall  cause
      the Claim Account  to be replenished  to its  original or  subsequently
      agreed upon  balance  by  transferring funds  from  the  Premium  Trust
      Account into the Claim Account each month as required.

 3.   Interest earned on the Claim Account  balance shall be credited to  the
      Claim Account for the benefit of GE Re, Dorinco, and AHIC in proportion
      to the respective interest of each.

 4.   HCS shall be responsible for administration  of the Claim Account,  and
      shall provide a monthly reconciliation of all Claim Account activity on
      forms mutually agreeable to the parties.

 5.   Additional deposits to  or withdrawals from  the claim  account may  be
      made at any time  at the discretion  of GE Re,  Dorinco, and AHIC  upon
      notifying HCS to effect such deposit or withdrawals.

 6.   Any one  of GE  Re, Dorinco,  or AHIC  may individually  terminate  the
      authority of HCS to act on its behalf under this Agreement at any time.
      Alternatively, GE  Re, Dorinco,  and AHIC,  may,  at any  time,  acting
      collectively, terminate  this  Agreement  entirely.   In  either  case,
      written notice by the  terminating reinsurer(s) shall  be given to  HCS
      stating in  the notice  when such  termination shall  be effective  and
      stating to whom  any balance(s) in  the Claim  Account attributable  to
      such reinsurer(s) shall be transmitted.

 7.   Upon  final  settlement  of  all  losses  subject  to  the  Reinsurance
      Agreement, any  balance  remaining  in  the  Claim  Account  (including
      interest) shall be  paid or  released to GE  Re, Dorinco,  and AHIC  in
      proportion to the interest of each.

 IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,   the  parties   have  executed   this  Agreement   in
 quadruplicate on the dates shown below.

 GE Reinsurance Corporation         Hallmark Claims Services, Inc.

 By:                                By:
 Date:                              Date:


 Dorinco Reinsurance Company

 By:
 Date:


 American Hallmark Insurance Company of Texas

 By:
 Date: