Opinion ID: 1345725
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: complaint one

Text: The Bar filed its first complaint on 21 May 1986. The complaint contained six counts of alleged misconduct that centered on Tarletz's failure to properly and competently represent her clients. Formal disciplinary proceedings were delayed and continued several times over the next year. Initially, Tarletz and the Bar filed an agreement for discipline by consent, agreeing to a seven-month suspension. Several months later, however, Tarletz withdrew her consent. Another delay occurred when the Bar filed a motion for interim suspension because it believed that allowing Tarletz to continue practicing law would result in substantial harm and loss and damage to the public and to the legal profession and to the administration of justice. This court denied that motion. In the meantime, Tarletz was suspended from the practice of law for non-payment of dues on 2 June 1987 and remains suspended. Hearing Committee 3A began hearings in this matter in June and July of 1987. Tarletz represented herself. On the third day of the proceedings, the Committee became concerned with Tarletz's demeanor and performance as an attorney. Specifically, the Committee was concerned about Tarletz's constant confusion and disorganization while examining witnesses, her constant shuffling of papers at her table, the dozens of pills she laid out on her table which she occasionally ingested, and her sudden outburst while a judge was testifying where Tarletz jumped up, slammed her hands on the table and called the judge a liar. The Committee moved to place Tarletz on disability inactive status under Rule 59(d), 17A A.R.S. Sup.Ct. Rules. The Commission, however, denied this motion because Tarletz herself made no claim of incapacity. The Committee finally concluded the hearing on 29 October 1987. The Committee made findings of fact and conclusions of law with respect to the six counts in the first complaint. Count One. Dr. Bruce Winters (Winters), a resident of California, was an optometrist who leased department store space in Arizona from Fed-Mart Stores, Inc. (Fed-Mart), a California corporation. On 5 May 1982, Fed-Mart terminated its lease with Winters pursuant to a 90-Day Termination Provision in the lease. Tarletz learned of Winters' predicament through mutual friends and solicited him by telephone to participate in a class action lawsuit against Fed-Mart on behalf of Winters and three other plaintiffs/lessees. Tarletz's contact with Winters was solely by letter or phone and she came into personal contact with him only once, which was at his deposition. Tarletz misrepresented the Fed-Mart matter to Winters in several ways. First, she never filed a class action suit. Second, she never explained to Winters that he might be liable for unpaid rent or costs and attorney's fees should Fed-Mart prevail. Third, she failed to discuss with Winters any weaknesses in the case and completely ignored any conflict of law issues pertaining to Winters. Tarletz also failed to handle the matter properly and competently. During pre-trial depositions, Fed-Mart's attorney made a settlement offer to Tarletz proposing that each side drop their claims and pay their own costs. Tarletz failed to inform Winters or the other plaintiffs of this offer. Instead, she told Fed-Mart's attorney a few days later that the plaintiffs would settle for $150,000. Next, Fed-Mart filed a motion for summary judgment on its counterclaim for unpaid rent and a response to plaintiff's motion for summary judgment. Tarletz meanwhile filed bankruptcy petitions on behalf of two of the other plaintiffs, the Golds and the Warshauers. She failed, however, to file a response to Fed-Mart's motion for summary judgment. Apparently, Tarletz believed that telling the trial judge she had filed a bankruptcy petition for two of the plaintiffs was a sufficient response to Fed-Mart's motion for summary judgment and that this notification would automatically stay the proceedings as to all plaintiffs. The trial judge granted Fed-Mart's motion and entered a judgment against Winters for $15,000 in attorney's fees, $1,002.20 in costs and $4,474.24 in unpaid rent. Tarletz did not appear at this judgment hearing and the court had to telephone her. Winters eventually paid the entire judgment because two of the plaintiffs filed bankruptcy petitions and the other one settled with Fed-Mart. Finally, we note that Tarletz unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw as Winters' counsel just prior to the final judgment in this matter. This would have left Winters completely on his own. The Committee concluded that Tarletz's course of conduct in representing Winters violated former DR 6-101 (Failing to Act Competently) and DR 7-101 (Representing a Client Zealously). Count Two. Dr. Barry Blonder (Blonder), an Arizona resident and optometrist, also leased store space from Fed-Mart in Arizona. Tarletz solicited him by letter with an enclosed retainer agreement asking him if he too would like to join in a class-action suit against Fed-Mart. As she did with Winters, Tarletz failed to inform Blonder of his liability for any unpaid rent and costs or attorney's fees should the claim prove unsuccessful. Tarletz also failed to file the matter as a class action and failed to convey to Blonder the settlement offer made by Fed-Mart's attorney. Independent of the Committee's findings, the record shows Fed-Mart sent interrogatories to Tarletz for Blonder to answer and she never notified him. Also, Blonder missed his deposition because Tarletz failed to inform him of the time and place. Fed-Mart then filed for sanctions against Blonder. Blonder finally obtained other counsel and settled the matter with Fed-Mart for $2000. Blonder was then dismissed from the matter. Again, the Committee found that Tarletz's conduct in representing Blonder violated former DR 6-101 (Failure to Act Competently) and DR 7-101 (Representing a Client Zealously). Count Three. Tarletz was appointed on 13 September 1983 to represent the Whiley children in a dependency proceeding. By 5 January 1984, Tarletz had yet to meet with the children. She was ordered to appear in juvenile court on 17 January 1984 to show cause why she should not be held in contempt in regard to this matter. Tarletz appeared and was ordered to submit a letter stating what type of custodial arrangement would be in the best interests of the children. Tarletz filed the letter with the court on 8 February 1984. Tarletz was one hour late for a report and review hearing on the Whiley custody matter on 4 April 1984. At the next two hearings, Tarletz's presence was by conference telephone only. On 4 January 1985, Judge C. Kimball Rose ordered Tarletz to respond on all matters concerning the Whiley children. On 28 January, after repeated delay, Tarletz eventually reported to Judge Rose. On 31 January 1985, Judge Rose replaced Tarletz as counsel on the basis of inadequate representation. The Committee found that Tarletz failed to competently and zealously represent the Whiley children in violation of former DR 6-101 (Failing to Act Competently) and DR 7-101 (Representing a Client Zealously). Count Four. Tarletz represented Larry and Carol Gold (the Golds) in both the Fed-Mart matter and in an action for unpaid attorney's fees filed by Victor Garnice against the Golds in March 1983. Tarletz failed to answer the complaint and a default judgment was obtained against the Golds. In September 1983, Tarletz filed a motion to set aside the default judgment. She never told the Golds that she failed to answer, that a default judgment was entered against them, or that she filed a motion to set aside the default judgment. The Golds first learned of the default judgment, much to their surprise, on 30 January 1984 when they were served with notice to appear at a judgment debtor's examination. Eventually, the Golds obtained another attorney to represent them. The Committee concluded that Tarletz failed to provide effective representation in violation of former DR 6-101 (Failing to Act Competently) and DR 7-101 (Representing a Client Zealously). Count Five. The Golds considered filing for bankruptcy. In anticipation of the Golds' impending bankruptcy, Tarletz advised them to put all of their property in a trust for their children. Tarletz prepared a document in November 1983 entitled The Jill and April Living Trust, dated 18 March 1983. Tarletz's spouse, Nelson Siegel, notarized the instrument as executed and acknowledged on 18 March 1983 when, in fact, it was executed in November 1983. The trust was recorded in November and Tarletz filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition for the Golds in December. The Committee concluded that Tarletz knowingly backdated the trust and that she violated former DR 6-101 (Failing to Act Competently) and DR 7-102 (Representing a Client Within the Bounds of the Law). Count Six. In December 1983, Tarletz filed Chapter 13 petitions in bankruptcy court on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Warshauer (the Warshauers) and the Golds. The Warshauers never authorized the filing of their bankruptcy petition and Tarletz forged their names on their petition. After the Golds' and the Warshauers' petitions were filed, the bankruptcy judge ordered both to provide additional information in order for their petitions to comply with the bankruptcy rules. Once again, Tarletz failed to provide sufficient information to the court and failed to keep her clients adequately informed. Eventually, the Golds and the Warshauers sought new counsel to proceed with their bankruptcy proceedings. Their new attorney immediately moved the court to convert the Chapter 13 proceedings into Chapter 7 proceedings. The Committee concluded that Tarletz violated former DR 6-101 (Failing to Act Competently), DR 6-102 (Limiting Liability to a Client) and DR 7-102 (Representing a Client Within the Bounds of the Law). Additional Findings. The Committee also made the following specific findings with regard to the proceedings: The Committee finds that, generally, the testimony of Respondent was not credible. The Committee further specifically finds that in response to most, if not all, of the allegations and complaints against her, the Respondent consistently blamed someone else and took the position that it was always someone else's fault. In summary, the Committee found six violations of former DR 6-101 (Failing to Act Competently) which stated: (A) A lawyer shall not: