Court Opinion

ID: 9523649
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 02:45:05.409057+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:07:08.976673
License: Public Domain

DONIELSON, Judge
(specially concurring).
I am in complete agreement with the majority opinion, but do wish to add my comments to the well-written and thoroughly-researched majority opinion.
The first order in the file was dated November 23, 1982, and contains a clear and unequivocal order stating in part:
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Respondent Fred Williams, Jr., be and he is hereby restrained and enjoined during the pendency of this action from selling, assigning, transferring, conveying, encumbering, mortgaging or otherwise disposing of any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, over which he has control, except in the ordinary course of a business which maintains complete and accurate written records of its transactions, without first providing written notice of any such transfer, encumbrance or conveyance to the court with a copy to Petitioner’s attorneys at 142 North 9th Street, Fort Dodge, IA 50501, at least ten (10) days in advance of date of transfer, conveyance or encumbrance.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Respondent Fred Williams, Jr., be and he is hereby restrained and enjoined during the pendency of this action from destroying, altering or concealing any written or recorded record in his possession, custody or control pertaining or related to any business or property of Respondent, of Petitioner, or either of them, or of any entity, corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship in which Respondent has an actual or beneficial interest.
This order was thereafter reaffirmed on December 20, 1982, June 6, 1983, and May 29, 1984. There can be no mistake; not only was there a blatant, continuous violation of this order of the court, but there was no change in counsel, and present counsel continued his representation in the face of this clear and unequivocal order. When his client not only totally disregarded the order but violated it repeatedly, counsel aided and abetted him in doing so and thereafter even accepted a $250,000 mortgage on farmlands in Calhoun County and then took a $250,000 confession of judgment when the fees due the counsel were either less than $10,000 or, looking at the record, possibly nothing at this time.
Fred was candid in stating that the interest in the farm was transferred to his counsel to avoid his creditors. It would appear to me that legal counsel, as well as the client, has the responsibility of complying with the court orders clearly set forth. It is quite apparent to me that counsel for the deceased Fred Williams, Jr. has some grave responsibilities to account for his action in detail for his part in this debacle, not only for the $250,000 mortgage and confession of judgment, but for the other matters mentioned in the majority opinion as well.