Opinion ID: 1920283
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: professional misconduct

Text: On September 24, 1976, Pollack testified before the three judge panel that prior to the first letter of complaint sent to the Bar Association on these cases, no charges had ever been placed against him. The following exchange took place: (T., p. 84). POLLACK: No, no charges were ever placed against me. There was one time I received a phone call from a Mr. Baker who was on the Grievance Committee of Baltimore City, it was a frivolous thing, resolved. MR. CRAWFORD: How long ago was that? POLLACK: It would have been back in 1960's. POLLACK: I don't remember the exact (date). Later at the same hearing, on cross examination: (T., p. 116). MR. HOWARD: Mr. Pollack, you indicated that a complaint or some allegation against your professional conduct was lodged in the mid 60's? Would that complaint have been filed sometime, or be as a result of representation of a client prior to June of 1966? POLLACK: I don't recall. MR. HOWARD: Would you recall if the name of the client involved or the complainant was Louis Maloff? (T., p. 117). POLLACK: I recognize the name, Louis Maloff. MR. HOWARD: Did you represent Louis Maloff? POLLACK: I represented him, yes. I said I recognized the name. MR. HOWARD: And you indicate to this panel that the matter was closed with no official action? POLLACK: That is my recollection of it. MR. HOWARD: If I advised you you were reprimanded by the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Baltimore City  (T., p. 117). POLLACK: I recognize the name, but I do not remember or recall the outcome of it.... I thought the complaint had been dismissed. (The hearing was continued in order to allow the counsel for the Bar Association to obtain the minutes of the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of June 1966.) When the hearing resumed on October 1, 1976, counsel entered into a stipulation of facts based on the official minutes of the Executive Committee of the Maryland State Bar Association of June 1966. A reprimand was issued by the Executive Committee in June of 1966, for the reason that Pollack had been dilatory with regard to a real estate transaction; specifically, with regard to filing the documents related to that transaction. (#2T., p. 2). During his explanation of the circumstances surrounding that transaction, the following exchange took place: (#2T., pp. 3-5). POLLACK: This situation took place about eleven years ago and until ... things were brought to my attention I didn't have too much memory or recall on it. However, Mr. Maloff had a Texaco Gas Station at one time on what would be the east side of Reisterstown Road... Now I had frequented Mr. Maloff's Texaco Station as well as his motor repair place. I had done work in representations for him. He did work on my car and I, as a practice, paid cash for work on the car. The work wasn't satisfactory. I then represented him in a real estate matter. Now, I don't recall whether it was a ground rent redemption or purchase. There is a difference as far as monetary matters are involved. If it had been a purchase, a mortgage would have been involved, papers would have been  I would have been rushed to put them on to protect the lending institution or the mortgagee. In this particular case I held the papers and did not put them on record. I was angry, disturbed, mad, trying to get my money back for work that Maloff did on my car that I felt he hadn't done properly. The next thing that I recall with the aid of these papers is that I put the papers on record. Maloff had gone to see another attorney and I didn't know who the attorney was or when the attorney contacted me. But I recorded the papers after being contacted and that's it. MR. CRAWFORD: And you had testified prior that you did not recall a formal reprimand for these circumstances. Do you now recall the reprimand? POLLACK: I have been shown a letter and I recall  or I received the letter at the time I was working for the City and according to the address it was delivered to me in the right of way division of the City office.