Opinion ID: 2445003
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Specific Rulings

Text: We now turn to the specific fee awards granted by the Circuit Courts for Harford County and Prince George's County. We begin this analysis with a review of the agreement between Nagle & Zaller with the Association regarding the fees they will charge for their collection services. The firm charged flat rates for many of the routine tasks involved, which were not tied to the hours spent, and may not have been performed by attorneys. These included the following: Demand Letter $100.00 Balance Due Letter $ 50.00 Lien Warning Letter $175.00 Lien Warning LetterPosting (if required) $ 75.00 Suit/Lien Warning Letter $175.00 Suit/Lien Warning LetterPosting (if required) $ 75.00 Lien Statement Preparation $100.00 Lien Notification Letter $ 50.00 Suit/Foreclosure Warning Letter $175.00 Suit Warning Letter $175.00 Draft Letter & Monitor Informal Payment Plan $ 50.00 Confessed Judgment Note (Less than two years) $175.00 Confessed Judgment Note (Greater than two years) $275.00 Confessed Judgment Demand Letter $100.00 Non-Sufficient Funds Letter $ 50.00 Payoff Letter $125.00 The fee agreement specified that [a]ll other time (telephone calls or meetings with delinquent owners, payment plan administration, follow-up letters, etc.) will be charged to the owner at the hourly rate of the person performing or reviewing the work. The fee agreement included additional flat-rate charges if suit were filed: Draft and File Complaint $300.00 Draft and File Amended Complaint $175.00 Reissue Complaint $ 50.00 Motion for Alternate Service $175.00 Complaint for Confessed Judgment $200.00 Confessed Judgment Affidavit (if required) $ 50.00 Motion to Amend Judgment $Hourly Interrogatories in Aid of Execution $100.00 Request for Oral Exam $ 50.00 Request for Show Cause $ 50.00 Request for Body Attachment for Contempt $ 50.00 Judgment Lien $ 50.00 Request for Garnishment (wages or bank account) $100.00 Request for Judgment Garnishment (bank account) $ 75.00 Post Judgment Demand Letter $100.00 Motion to Compel Answers to Interrogatories $ 75.00 Request for Foreign Judgment $150.00 Judgment Creditor's Report $ 75.00 Stipulation Agreement (Less than two years) $175.00 Stipulation Agreement (Greater than two years) $275.00 Stipulation Demand Letter $100.00 Motion for Default Judgment $200.00 Order and Review Credit Report $ 50.00 Real Property Search $ 25.00 Pretrial/Hearing Warning Letter $ 75.00 These flat rate charges were also increased by hourly charges for time spent in trial preparation and trial.