Opinion ID: 835026
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Ingle Matter

Text: In the mid 1990s, the accused represented Pearl Ingle in obtaining a series of loans from Andrew Hohn and drafted the documents to evidence and secure those loans. The documents included several promissory notes and a mortgage in favor of Hohn on certain property owned by Ingle (loan transactions). The accused also represented Ingle in obtaining from Hohn partial releases of the mortgage securing the loans. In 2004, Ingle died, and her daughter was appointed personal representative of Ingle's estate. Ingle's will directed that all her just debts and liabilities be fully paid. During 2004 and 2005, the accused represented Hohn in collecting the outstanding loans that Hohn had made to Ingle during her lifetime (the debt collection). (2) In particular, the accused asserted a probate claim on Hohn's behalf against Ingle's estate based on the promissory notes and mortgages that he had previously prepared for Ingle. The personal representative disallowed the claim. The accused then demanded that the personal representative pay Hohn $81,519.29 or execute a new promissory note for that amount, or the accused would initiate a foreclosure action against Ingle's property -- the same property at issue in the mortgages that the accused had prepared on Ingle's behalf. Eventually, the accused brought an action against Ingle's estate asserting claims for breach of contract, action on promissory notes, and judicial foreclosure of real property. The personal representative challenged Hohn's claims, arguing that some loans were barred by the statute of limitations, were unsupported by documentation, or had already been repaid. The parties ultimately settled the claims for $52,660.64. The personal representative registered a complaint with the Bar. The Bar charged the accused with violating DR 5-105(C) (subsequently representing a client in the same or a significantly related matter as a former client when the interests of the current and former clients are in actual or likely conflict) and RPC 1.9(a) (representing a client in the same or substantially related matter as a former client in which the current client's interests are materially adverse to the interests of the former client without obtaining informed consent, confirmed in writing). The trial panel concluded that the accused violated the foregoing provisions.