Opinion ID: 1842360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Findings of Fact as to Each Item of Misconduct of Which Respondent is Charged

Text: Upon consideration of the pleadings and the evidence before me, pertinent portions of which are commented upon below, I find As To Count I Respondent was retained to represent Earl Moye, a nonresident, with respect to his interest in the estate of his sister-in-law which was administered in Florida. On January 13, 1978, before receiving any funds in behalf of his client, Respondent advanced himself, from his trust account, $750 in partial payment of his fee. On January 19, 1978, Respondent received from the estate's executrix, for his client a diamond ring appraised at $3,800, a jade brooch, other jewelry and silverware. The following day he received $12,124.96 in cash, deposited it in a trust account and paid himself an additional $750. In early January Respondent wrote an attorney representing Mr. Moye in Michigan that their mutual client's assets from the estate would be forwarded to him shortly. The jewelry and silverware were delivered to Mr. Moye sometime after February 12, 1978, after additional demand upon Respondent. He retained the cash until August 30, 1978  more than three months after the complaint was filed with The Florida Bar and referred to the grievance committee  at which time he forwarded the remainder to his client after having deducted his fee. Stock valued at $6,000 was sent to Mr. Moye by a brokerage firm and never came into Respondent's hands. Mr. Moye suffered no economic loss because of Respondent's misconduct. It is reasonable to assume however that it inflicted inconvenience and anxiety upon him and undermined his confidence in lawyers and the legal profession in general and in Mr. Bryan in particular. Respondent testified in substance that he did not consciously intend to misappropriate his client's money or deny him its use, but that there had been a dispute or misunderstanding over the amount of his fee and he delayed remission of the money out of anger and spite and frustration. As To Count II A Bar audit of Respondent's two trust accounts revealed a $750 advance to himself in payment of one half of his fee before receipt of any money or other property for the account of Mr. Moye. He paid himself the remainder upon receipt of his client's cash legacy on January 20, 1978. Fourteen days later the amounts on deposit in the trust accounts were insufficient to cover Respondent's liability to Mr. Moye without taking into account any other possible outstanding trust obligations. Similar deficiencies continued in these accounts through parts of March, April and July, 1978. Withdrawals from the trust accounts consistently exceeded deposits. During the audit period Respondent deposited $102,300 in trust and withdrew $133,000. The resulting deficit of $30,700 was eliminated by Respondent not withdrawing earned fees. He commingled personal money with trust funds and paid personal and office expenses from trust accounts. Respondent kept index cards and clients' ledger cards for his trust accounts but did not periodically reconcile them nor did he reconcile differences between checkbook balances and bank statements. Upon recommendation of the Bar auditor, Respondent employed a certified public accountant to prepare reliable trust accounting records and co-sign checks drawn upon the trust accounts. However, the accountant withdrew from that employment and the checks are being cosigned by another attorney upon recommendation of the circuit grievance committee. When paying annual bar dues for fiscal year 1978-1979, Respondent did not sign his annual certificate on the dues statement attesting his familiarity with the rules governing trust accounts and his substantial compliance with their minimum requirements detailed in Fla.Bar Integr. Rule, Article XI, Rule 11.02(4)(c) and further defined by Section 5 of the By-laws under the Integration Rule. Respondent attributes his problems with the trust accounts to his own carelessness, inattention and lack of skill in the art of bookkeeping and faults himself for entrusting that responsibility to employees equally artless and unskilled. He gives assurance that the accounts are now in compliance with bar standards and that they will remain in that condition.