Opinion ID: 1833321
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Raymond Fuller Matter

Text: On March 18, 1993, Raymond Fuller paid a $300 retainer to respondent in connection with some debt problems. Agricultural Services had begun foreclosure proceedings against Fuller and he had some other outstanding judgments against him. Respondent did directly and positively assist Fuller with these concerns to Fuller's benefit, but stopped abruptly on June 27, 1994. Respondent claimed he had resigned from representing Fuller by 1995. However, he never informed Fuller of that fact and failed to return Fuller's files, corporate records, or the balance of Fuller's retainer in respondent's trust account. Fuller retained a new attorney who was able to obtain from respondent possession of many of Fuller's files in or about March 1996, but was unsuccessful in obtaining Fuller's corporate records and corporate seal. As of the April 4, 1997 hearing, respondent still retained Fuller's corporate records and corporate seal because he had not gotten around to returning them. The referee noted that Fuller blamed respondent for the loss of a home, farm, and business; however, due to a failure of proof the referee did not find that respondent was in fact responsible for those losses. Again, just prior to the April 4, 1997 hearing, respondent claimed to have returned $761.55 to Fuller, but offered as proof to the referee only a Federal Express receipt without other documentation. Further, it is possible that even if respondent did make payment of $761.55 to Fuller, respondent may still retain some of Fuller's money in the trust account because a $600 check written to Agricultural Services on Fuller's behalf may not have been cashed.