Opinion ID: 1670703
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Harry Thompson

Text: The first complaint came from Harry and Walterine Thompson. Lindsay arranged a settlement with the Thompsons' UM carrier in September of 1982 and issued the Thompsons a check for $2,935.53. Lindsay advised his clients to hold the check a few days, as it was drawn against an insurance company draft which had to clear. When Walterine Thompson deposited the check in their savings account a few days later, it was returned for insufficient funds. She contacted Lindsay, who assured her that the check was good without realizing that the check had been dishonored. The Thompsons kept the check for almost a year, thinking that Lindsay would take care of the matter. Not until the bank marked a $2,935.53 deduction in their passbook did the Thompsons understand that the money had never gone into their account. [2] When Harry Thompson went to confront Lindsay about the missing funds, the lawyer was not available. Lindsay never called Thompson about the visit or returned his subsequent telephone calls. Finally, Walterine Thompson spotted Lindsay in a gas station. He told her to give him the NSF check so that he could correct the situation, but he did nothing. Finally, the Thompsons turned to another attorney for help. After failing to contact Lindsay, this attorney sent a complaint to the LSBA. At a hearing on May 3, 1985, Lindsay claimed that he relied on his accountant to handle his financial matters and was unaware the Thompsons had not received their money. He denied receiving their telephone messages. When Walterine Thompson spoke to him at the gas station, Lindsay was unable to make the check good immediately because the accountant had left his financial affairs in chaos. [3] Lindsay offered to reimburse the Thompsons in two installments, but they wanted all their money at once. When the LSBA became involved, Lindsay decided to wait and let the Committee resolve matters. [4] He brought a cashier's check for the Thompsons to the hearing. Lindsay admitted that he had not segregated the clients' money from his own money and that he had not maintained a sufficient amount in his trust account.