Opinion ID: 1137087
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The alleged failure to adequately represent a client in the sale of property.

Text: The complaint of the Oregon State Bar alleges that the accused did not adequately represent Mrs. Baker in the sale of the real property in that he (a) failed to advise her that the purchaser of the property, a partner of the accused, had offered a higher price for it to other co-tenants; (b) that he failed to advise her that she could possibly get a higher price from the other co-tenants, and (c) that he failed to contact other co-tenants with the offer or to attempt to negotiate a higher price for his client. When the offer was made by Mr. Sidman to purchase the interest of Mrs. Baker in the property, the partnership had already been dissolved. Also, the accused denied any knowledge of the offers made by Mr. Sidman to the other co-tenants. In addition, it appears from the evidence that the higher price offered by Mr. Sidman to the other co-tenants may well have reflected an assessment of market and bargaining conditions, and the evidence does not establish that the price offered by him for the interest of Mrs. Baker was less than the true value of her interest. Neither does it establish that the accused might possibly have been able to get a higher price for her interest in that property. In any event, it is our opinion that the accused, in the performance of his duty as an attorney, was under no legal or ethical duty to contact other co-tenants in an effort to negotiate a higher price for her interest in that property. Based upon our examination of the record, it does not appear that Mrs. Baker was poorly represented by the accused in the sale of her interest in that property. It follows that we agree with the finding by the Trial Board that the accused is not guilty of the first cause of action of the complaint. Indeed, the Disciplinary Review Board made neither a finding of fact nor a conclusion of law on this cause of action, but concluded only that there was an appearance of impropriety in the conduct by the accused, as subsequently discussed.