Desarbo, Jensen v. Bozzuto's Carting Co., No. Cv90-0307495s (Jul. 28, 1995)

1995 Conn. Super. Ct. 8088
CourtConnecticut Superior Court
DecidedJuly 28, 1995
DocketNo. CV90-0307495S
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1995 Conn. Super. Ct. 8088 (Desarbo, Jensen v. Bozzuto's Carting Co., No. Cv90-0307495s (Jul. 28, 1995)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Connecticut Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Desarbo, Jensen v. Bozzuto's Carting Co., No. Cv90-0307495s (Jul. 28, 1995), 1995 Conn. Super. Ct. 8088 (Colo. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This case is unpublished as indicated by the issuing court.]MEMORANDUM OF DECISION The instant case is a suit for attorney's fees. In the amended complaint filed on December 26, 1990, there are four counts. The first and third counts allege an action in contract and an action of unjust enrichment respectively against Bozzuto's Carting Company, Inc. (hereinafter Carting) while the second and fourth counts do the same against Anthony S. Bozzuto (hereinafter Bozzuto). From the evidence presented and reasonable inferences CT Page 8089 drawn therefrom, the court finds that the facts set forth below were established.

I.
The plaintiff law firm specializes in tax law. In 1990, approximately forty percent of its business related to wills and trusts. D. Richard DeSarbo (hereinafter DeSarbo) is a partner in the plaintiff firm. On March 22, 1990, Bozzuto and Kevin O'Donnell met with DeSarbo to review Bozzuto's existing estate plan. Kevin O'Donnell is a general agent for John Hancock Insurance Company and also operates a financial services organization. In 1990, O'Donnell was Bozzuto's financial advisor.

Both DeSarbo and O'Donnell envisioned the preparation of new estate documents. An insurance trust to be funded by a policy that Bozzuto would purchase from O'Donnell was one of the documents contemplated. Bozzuto is the principal shareholder of Carting and representation of the corporation by DeSarbo was also discussed at the initial meeting.

The estate plan that Bozzuto submitted for DeSarbo's review had been prepared by the Pellegrino law firm and consisted of the following documents: wills of Bozzuto and his wife Phyllis and family trusts and amendments thereto. DeSarbo also received a financial statement from Bozzuto and a summary of insurance policies on the lives of Bozzuto and his wife was furnished by Kevin O'Donnell. At the first meeting DeSarbo mentioned that his hourly rate was $185.00. No final amounts, however, were discussed for either the new estate plan or for the corporate work.

In the process of developing the new estate plan, DeSarbo met with Bozzuto and his wife. On May 10, 1990, DeSarbo sent copies of documents that he had prepared to Bozzuto with an explanatory memorandum. In an accompanying letter, DeSarbo wrote that after Bozzuto reviewed the documents, a meeting should be scheduled with Kevin O'Donnell and Andrew D'Agostino, Bozzuto's accountant, to go over the plan. The documents that were sent included wills and revocable trust indentures for Bozzuto and his wife, a separate irrevocable trust for Bozzuto and irrevocable insurance trusts with Bozzuto and his wife as grantors.

On June 8, 1990, the plaintiff's invoice in the amount of $5,000.00 for legal services pertaining to the new estate plan was mailed to Bozzuto. Subsequent to receiving this invoice, Bozzuto CT Page 8090 inquired of DeSarbo as to changes in the method of designating the independent trustee. DeSarbo made the requested changes and charged an additional $490.00 as shown in the invoice of August 24, 1990.

Kevin O'Donnell and Andrew D'Agostino received copies of the estate plan documents that DeSarbo had prepared. Bozzuto did not complain about the plaintiff's bill for the estate plan work until August or September of 1990. His complaint was that he had not authorized the preparation of the documents which have never been signed.

Bozzuto engaged DeSarbo to represent him in the purchase of a condominium. Actually another of the plaintiff's attorneys was present at the closing held on June 6, 1990. The sum of $580.00 was charged for services pertaining to the condominium as appears in the plaintiff's invoice dated July 13, 1990.

For personal work, the plaintiff's bills total $6,070.00 of which of $5,490.00 was attributed to the preparation of the estate plan documents and $580.00 was attributed to the acquisition of the condominium. In August or September, 1990, Bozzuto offered to pay only the condominium portion of the bill.

In the spring of 1990, DeSarbo at Bozzuto's request began to do legal work for Carting. On June 8, 1990, the plaintiff sent a bill for $6,500.00 predicated upon a recitation that the following work had been accomplished: "Tax and legal services rendered from April 30, 1990 through June 1, 1990, including the preparation of a lease with respect to the corporate premises, a cross purchase agreement among the shareholders in the corporation, pension planning proposals and calculations, and review of documentation regarding the proposed acquisition of Finocchio's, including all conferences with Attorney DeSarbo in connection with the foregoing, and all research regarding the tax treatment of customer lists and covenants not to compete." The lease and cross purchase agreement were introduced into evidence but the pension planning proposals were not. "Finocchio's" refers to Young Finocchio, a refuse company, whose commercial accounts and customer lists were subsequently purchased by Carting. On July 13, 1990, a new invoice increased by $1,040.00 to $7,450.00 because of review of a preliminary draft of the sales agreement pertaining to Young Finocchio and conferences between the attorneys was sent. On August 24, 1990 a third bill this time increased by $500.00 to $8,040.00 was mailed; the increase being due to a meeting of the CT Page 8091 lawyers.

Finally, on September 21, 1990, the plaintiff sent a fourth bill to Carting for $6,990.00 for "Tax and legal services rendered through September 6, 1990 in connection with the acquisition of Young and Finocchio Refuse Company including all conferences with Attorneys DeSarbo and Duncan in connection therewith and preparation of the purchase agreement, covenant not to compete, Bozzuto personal guarantee and bill of sale."

Attorney Basil Duncan represented Young Finocchio in the sale and purchase transaction. It was Attorney Duncan who prepared the "Agreement of Purchase And Sale" that was used. Attorney Duncan, however, was aided by the draft agreement that had been prepared by DeSarbo. At the closing, Attorney Duncan used the bill of sale and the personal guaranty of Bozzuto that DeSarbo had drafted. Attorney Duncan billed his client for fourteen hours of work at $120.00 per hour for a total of $1,680.00.

As matters turned out, DeSarbo did not attend the closing. He ceased his representation of Bozzuto and Carting before the closing was held for the professed reason that Bozzuto had not paid for the estate plan work. DeSarbo was succeeded by Attorney Andrew Amendola who received $550.00 for "preparation of closing documents and title search" and $650.00 as "closing fee for business purchase and personal representation." In 1990, Attorney Amendola's hourly rate was $140.00.

For business closings there was in 1990 a custom prevailing in New Haven County whereby the closing contract would be prepared by the buyer's attorney and the seller's attorney would prepare the bill of sale, covenant not to compete, personal guaranty on behalf of the buyer and tax clearance. Although DeSarbo, as the buyer's lawyer, prepared substantially all of the documents in draft or finished form, there was no showing that the parties intended the closing to be conducted contrary to the custom of the County of New Haven.

The documents prepared for Carting were not discussed with Bozzuto at least to the same extent as the documents that previously were prepared for his estate plan. This was especially true of the lease and cross purchase agreement the only two items that were unrelated to the acquisition of Young Finocchio Refuse Company. CT Page 8092

On October 22, 1990, Bozzuto wrote a letter on the stationery of Carting to the Grievance Committee.

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1995 Conn. Super. Ct. 8088, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/desarbo-jensen-v-bozzutos-carting-co-no-cv90-0307495s-jul-28-1995-connsuperct-1995.