Opinion ID: 1836956
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: client r.s.

Text: ¶ 6. The OLR complaint alleged, and Collins now stipulates, that Collins represented R.S. in a divorce action in Rock county. R.S.'s wife, J.S.S. had been involved in an auto accident which damaged a 1988 station wagon. After that accident, J.S.S. began using the parties' 1995 van. J.S.S. subsequently received an insurance settlement checkin R.S.'s namein the amount of $3300 for damage to the 1988 station wagon. J.S.S. received that settlement check before January 10, 1997, the date on which a temporary order hearing in the divorce action was held. As of that date, the monthly payments of $436.80 for the 1995 van for November and December 1996 had not been made to the lien holder on the van. ¶ 7. After the January 10, 1997, hearing, the circuit court ordered that the $3300 proceeds from the insurance settlement for the damage to the 1988 station wagon be placed in Collins' trust account; also, Collins was directed to contact the lien holder on the van and make arrangements to catch up on the past due payments and to find out if the lien holder would agree, after it received the $3300 cash payment from Collins' trust account, to reduce the principal balance and renegotiate the loan on the van so as to permit a lower monthly payment. ¶ 8. On January 18, 1997, the attorney representing J.S.S. in the divorce action forwarded the $3300 insurance settlement check J.S.S. had received to Collins. Although Collins knew the circuit court's order required him to deposit that check into his trust account and to then make arrangements with the lien holder on the van, Collins failed to deposit the check into his trust account. ¶ 9. In addition, Collins failed to instruct his client, R.S., to come to his office to endorse that settlement check so that Collins could then deposit it in his trust account and make the van payments. ¶ 10. On April 9, 1997, R.S. received a Notice of Right to Cure Default from the lien holder regarding the van. R.S. faxed that document to Collins and called him but Collins did not return the call. During the latter half of April 1997, R.S. made several additional unsuccessful attempts to contact Collins. R.S. was finally able to reach Collins on April 30, 1997. ¶ 11. On May 9, 1997, R.S. learned that he needed to endorse the settlement check and he then did so on that date. ¶ 12. Subsequently, in November of 1999, R.S. filed a grievance against Collins with the BAPR (OLR's predecessor agency). BAPR and Collins corresponded regarding that grievance throughout February of 2000. ¶ 13. On April 27, 2000, BAPR staff wrote to Collins asking for additional information and a response no later than May 11, 2000. Collins, however, failed to respond. ¶ 14. On May 16, 2000, BAPR staff again wrote to Collins and asked for his response; again, he did not respond. ¶ 15. BAPR staff subsequently referred the grievance investigation to its district investigative committee. While that investigation was pending, this state's lawyer regulation system was restructured and the disciplinary agency was renamed the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR). ¶ 16. On February 28, 2001, Collins met with the OLR's district investigative committee and was asked to provide additional information regarding his communication with the attorney who had represented J.S.S. in the divorce action. Collins also promised to provide additional information regarding his failure to respond to the BAPR staff investigative letters. Collins agreed that he would supply all the information no later than March 7, 2001. Collins, however, failed to provide any further information to the investigative committee regarding R.S.'s grievance. ¶ 17. This course of conduct resulted in Counts One through Five as alleged in the OLR's complaint. Those counts of misconduct to which Collins now stipulates are: A. Count One. By failing to deposit the insurance settlement check into his trust account, Collins failed to hold in trust, property of clients or third persons in his possession in connection with a representation or when acting in a fiduciary capacity in violation of SCR 20:1.15(a). B. Count Two. By failing to promptly deliver the funds to the lien holder, despite the court's temporary order, Collins failed to, upon receiving funds or other property in which a client or third person has an interest, promptly notify the client or third person in writing, and failed to promptly deliver to the client or third person any funds or other property that the client or third person is entitled to receive, in violation of SCR 20:1.15(b). C. Count Three. By taking four months to deposit the insurance settlement check instead of timely depositing the money into his trust account and by failing during that time to make past due payments to his client's lien holder, Collins failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, in violation of SCR 20:1.3. D. Count Four. By failing to follow the court's temporary order requiring him to deposit an insurance settlement check into his trust account, and make arrangements with the parties' bank to catch up on any past due payments, Collins knowingly disobeyed an obligation under the rules of a tribunal, in violation of SCR 20:3.4(c). E. Count Five. By failing to respond to two requests for information from the BAPR staff and by failing to provide information to the district committee as agreed, Collins failed to cooperate with the investigative committee; Collins failed to cooperate with the OLR in the investigation, prosecution and disposition of a grievance; and by failing to fully and fairly disclose all facts and circumstances pertaining to the alleged misconduct, Collins engaged in professional misconduct, in violation of SCR 21:03(4) (1998), SCR 22.07(3) (1998), SCR 22.04(1), SCR 21.15(4), and SCR 22.03(2) (October 1, 2000).