Opinion ID: 2349405
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Record in the Maryland Proceedings Relating to Respondents' Misconduct In The Poynton Estate Matter

Text: In February 1981, Wilma Briggles hired Respondent and paid him a retainer of $500 to represent her as the Personal Representative and/or to represent the estate of Wilbur M. Poynton who had died in January 1981. Respondent had previously prepared Poynton's will, which divided the decedent's property equally between two surviving children, one of whom was Wilma Briggles. Respondent assisted in arranging for a listing contract between Wilma Briggles and a real estate firm, and in March 1981 this listing resulted in an offer of $29,100 to buy the decedent's house, which was the only major asset of the estate. However, Respondent urged Wilma Briggles not to accept this offer. The reason given was that either Respondent, or his father, would purchase the house. No such purchase was forthcoming, and in November 1981 the house was sold for only $24,000, of which $14,900 was paid by means of an interest-free five-year note. In the meantime, Respondent did not file anything in the estate matter until November 4, 1981. At that time, he filed an Inventory along with a notice of his appearance. Previously, on May 13, 1981, the Register of Wills had sent Wilma Briggles a notice that two reports for the estate were overdue, and she proceeded to file one of these reports in June 1981 without any assistance from Respondent. Briggles had previously filed numerous other papers in the estate proceeding. Later, in December 1981, Wilma Briggles discharged Respondent as her attorney, whereupon Respondent submitted his statement for services rendered in the amount of $1,845. This statement include numerous false statements, to wit:  that Respondent had obtained an Order admitting the will to probate;  that Respondent had obtained testimony of subscribing witnesses, a certificate of proof of will and letters testamentary; and  that Respondent had handled the publication of notice to creditors and prepared a tax report. Respondent's statement also included two items asserted to represent amounts due to Respondent from Max Poynton (the other surviving child of the decedent) on two loans of $100 each, plus a $500 charge for services allegedly rendered to the son of Wilma Briggles. None of these items pertained to the estate. In April 1982, during a hearing on Respondent's petition for counsel fees in the estate matter, Respondent misrepresented to the Court that the $500 payment from Wilma Briggles was not for handling the estate. In fact, she had paid Respondent a separate amount, also of $500, to handle her non-estate matter, as well as $500 for the estate proceeding. In the Maryland disciplinary proceedings, Respondent's conduct in the Poynton estate matter was found to violate numerous disciplinary rules, e.g., DR 1-102(A)(1), (5) and (6); DR 2-106; DR 2-110(B)(4); DR 5-101(A); DR 7-101(A)(2) and (3); and DR 7-106(C)(6) and (7). Without unduly extending this Report by an analysis of each of these violations found in the Maryland proceedings, this Board is satisfied that the factual findings of the Maryland court, which Respondent does not dispute, support the conclusion that Respondent violated each of the above disciplinary rules one or more times.