Opinion ID: 1742730
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Roberson Matter

Text: In 1997, Jina Roberson hired D'Angelo to handle her bankruptcy for a flat-fee of $800. Roberson initially paid D'Angelo $200. Because of concerns about the status of property she owned in California with her ex-husband, Roberson decided not to file the bankruptcy. Roberson then moved to Texas. In the fall of 1999, the California real estate was sold. In January of 2000, Roberson received documents regarding the sale proceeding and sent those documents to D'Angelo. D'Angelo wrote the attorney named in those documents requesting information regarding the sale of the property and the debts needed to be paid from Roberson's share of the proceeds. In February of 2000, a California court awarded Roberson $10,879.43 for her share of the proceeds. On February 17, 2000, a check for this amount was sent to D'Angelo, payable to Roberson. D'Angelo did not tell Roberson he received the check. Instead, in March, he sent Roberson a letter informing her it does not appear that after all the payments are made, there should be funds to be divided. On October 12, 2000, the check was deposited into D'Angelo's trust account. Although Roberson had never seen the check, it was endorsed in her name. On October 19, 2000, D'Angelo sent Roberson a check for $5600 with an explanation on the check reading J. Graves Property Settlement. He did not mention that the original check had been for $10,879.43. On the same day, D'Angelo also withdrew $2779.79 from the trust account for Legal fees in conjunction with property settlement & bankruptcy legal fee including filing fee. No bankruptcy petition was ever filed. The remaining $2499.64 inexplicably vanished from the trust account. Roberson eventually filed a claim with the Client Security Commission. At the direction of the Commission, D'Angelo restored $2499.64 to Roberson three years later.