Opinion ID: 1536896
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Respondent's 2001 Contact with Bar Counsel and Ms. Fisher-Hammond

Text: 22. It was not until after Respondent received an inquiry from Bar Counsel in early 2001 (see below) that Ms. Fisher-Hammond heard from him. Tr. 75-77, 83-98, 245-250. This contact appears to have occurred in or around April 2001. Tr. 75-76, 96, 245-246; BX 8 at 2. Respondent expressed surprise regarding the allegations of unpaid bills, assured Ms. Fisher-Hammond that he had paid them, and promised to look into the matter. Tr. 77, 83-84, 90-93, 246-247. He indicated that relevant files had been damaged or destroyed by a fire while in storage. Tr. 91-93. But see Tr. 213-214 (Respondent's testimony that files were unavailable on account of burglary of offices); BX 7 at 2-3 (office broken into on several occasions); BX 10 (representing to Board that files may be unavailable because of a robbery/theft). He requested that Ms. Fisher-Hammond fax the Maryland Orthopedics bill to him at a fax number he provided. Tr. 85. When she attempted to do so either the same day or the following day, she found that the fax and telephone numbers he had provided her were inoperable. Tr. 85. But cf. Tr. 247 (I gave her a good fax number did not. . . . I don't know why it didn't come.). Ms. Fisher-Hammond did not hear from Respondent again, although she remained at the same residence for approximately one year thereafter. Tr. 94-96. 23. Respondent contends that he attempted shortly after his discussion with Ms. Fisher-Hammond to contact Maryland Orthopedics and Laurel Regional Hospital to inquire about their outstanding bills. Tr. 247-249. He averred that his efforts to determine the status of the invoices were unsuccessful with both providers, who left him on hold or failed to return his calls, and he therefore assumed the bills had been paid and gave up on his inquiries. Tr. 249; see also Tr. 250 (So I presumed, yes, I was correct that I had paid these things, because, if I hadn't paid these things, I knew I would hear something.. . . But I didn't hear anything.). Respondent made no effort to obtain statements or other records from Signet Bank in order to determine whether the payments had in fact been made. Tr. 281-283, 323-324, 338-340.