Opinion ID: 2637589
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Representation of Roger Wood

Text: ¶ 9 One of the clients, Roger Wood, met with White when his mortgage company threatened to foreclose on his residence. White referred him to Respondent as the bankruptcy attorney WPA used. Wood testified at the hearing before the trial tribunal that White was a representative for Mr. Mothershed and that the two worked together and shared office space. Wood paid Respondent a $600 retainer to file a bankruptcy action on his behalf. On April 15, 1999, Respondent filed Wood's Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona, BR-99-04211-PHX-CGC. He failed to file the required statements and schedules. ¶ 10 Wood produced all requested documents and information to Respondent prior to the one attorney-client conference they had. During the course of this attorney-client relationship, Wood received one telephone call from Respondent, and no written correspondence through the mail. Respondent did not file the required schedules and statements in Wood's behalf. Respondent hand-wrote a note to inform Wood of the time and location of the Section 341 hearing. Respondent also gave Wood his phone numbers and assured him that he would attend the hearing. However, Respondent did not attend, and failed to inform Wood or the bankruptcy court that he would not attend. In fact, the location contained in Respondent's handwritten note to Wood was actually a vacant lot, and not the bankruptcy court's address. When Wood finally arrived at the Section 341 hearing, his case had been dismissed. The bankruptcy court entered its order of dismissal on May 24, 1999. Wood's repeated attempts to contact Respondent by telephone were to no avail. ¶ 11 Respondent's misconduct prejudiced Wood. His home was taken in foreclosure proceedings, and he was forced to hire another attorney for an additional fee of $600.00, to re-file his bankruptcy case. The second attorney successfully represented Wood and his debts were discharged. Respondent misrepresented facts to the Office of General Counsel in his December 2000, response to Wood's grievance against him. Respondent represented that he filed a second Chapter 7 petition at no additional cost, pro se, and that he filed all completed schedules. He also contended he returned Wood's telephone calls. These representations are contrary to the facts in the instant case.