In re Lehrman

193 A.D.2d 211, 602 N.Y.S.2d 698, 1993 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9696

This text of 193 A.D.2d 211 (In re Lehrman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Lehrman, 193 A.D.2d 211, 602 N.Y.S.2d 698, 1993 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9696 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Per Curiam.

The petition, dated June 27, 1991, charges the respondent with nine allegations of professional misconduct. A supplemental petition, dated December 13, 1991, contains two additional charges. The Special Referee sustained Charges One, Three, Four, Six, Eight, Nine, in part, and Ten.

The petitioner moves to confirm the findings of the Special Referee sustaining Charges One, Three, Four, Six, Eight, Nine, in part, and Ten and to disaffirm the findings that Charges Two, Five, Seven, and Nine, in part, were not sustained. Charge Eleven was withdrawn by the petitioner at the hearing. The respondent cross-moves (1) to dismiss all charges contained in the petition and supplemental petition or, alternatively, to remit the charges, which were sustained by the Special Referee, to the Grievance Committee for the Ninth Judicial District for determination at the Committee level, (2) to appoint a second Special Referee for the limited purpose of reviewing the Grievance Committee’s "Confidential Report”, which was filed with this Court, in order to determine whether it contains any improper references to closed files concerning the respondent, (3) in the event the charges are not dismissed by this Court, to direct that the hearing be reopened to allow respondent the opportunity to submit documentary evidence regarding the respondent’s absence from his office for vacation in July 1991 inasmuch as the veracity of the respondent’s testimony was questioned by the Special Referee in his report, dated February 11, 1992, and (4) to grant the respondent’s counsel permission to orally argue this matter before the Court.

Charge One alleges that the respondent is guilty of engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation and which adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law. In or about December 1985 the respondent was [213]*213retained by Skyview Fuel Oil, Inc. (hereinafter Skyview), to commence an action against a debtor for nonpayment of a fuel bill. The respondent obtained a $971.78 default judgment against the debtor in the City Court of the City of Mount Vernon. The debtor thereafter acknowledged a debt to Sky-view, conferred with the respondent, and attempted to pay $100 per month until the debt was paid in full.

Between October 1986 and March 1987 the debtor forwarded four $100 bills to the respondent. The respondent failed to acknowledge the four payments.

In or about March 1987 the respondent caused a restraining notice to be placed on the bank account of the wife of the judgment debtor. The bank withheld $1,157.67 from her account. In or about April 1987 the debtor informed the bank that the respondent had restrained the wrong bank account. The respondent informed the debtor in writing in or about May 1987: "Insofar as the bank restraining the wrong account is concerned, I have nothing whatsoever to do with that”. The respondent knew, or should have known, that he had restrained the account of a person who was not the judgment debtor and that he failed to take corrective action.

Charge Two alleges that the respondent is guilty of conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation and which adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law. The bank account of the debtor’s wife was restrained in the amount of $771.78 when the amount then due on the debt was $571.78, in violation of CPLR 5222 (a).

Charge Three alleges that the respondent is guilty of aiding a nonlawyer in the unauthorized practice of law and engaging in conduct that adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law and/or conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. The respondent delegated to nonlegal personnel in his office, without adequate supervision, his professional function of preparing the restraining notice against the bank account.

Charge Six alleges that the respondent is guilty of intentionally violating an established rule of procedure in violation of Code of Professional Responsibility DR 7-106 (C) (7) and of engaging in conduct which adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law and/or is prejudicial to the administration of justice. In or about July 1987 the respondent caused to be issued to the debtor a subpoena to examine a judgment debtor in the action brought by Skyview. The subpoena was returnable before an employee of the respondent in violation of [214]*214CPLR 3113 (a). The respondent received a Letter of Caution from the Grievance Committee for the Ninth Judicial District in 1983 for this same misconduct and, therefore, knew that it was proscribed by the CPLR.

Charge Eight alleges that the respondent is guilty of neglecting a legal matter and/or handling a legal matter without adequate preparation. The respondent was retained by a client to collect a debt. A judgment was entered against that debtor in the amount of $970.74 in or about September 1983. On or about August 26, 1987, the debtor paid the full amount of the judgment to the Westchester County Sheriff. His attorney sent copies of the checks in payment of the judgment to the respondent, requesting that a satisfaction of judgment be recorded. The respondent received payment in full from the Westchester County Sheriff on November 10, 1987. In or about December 1987 the respondent caused the debtor’s salary to be garnished by the New York County Sheriff in the amount of $676.19. The debtor’s attorney again contacted respondent’s office to notify him that the judgment had been paid. Either the respondent or some member of his staff assured the attorney that the satisfaction had been recorded. After repeated telephone calls by the debtor and his attorney, the debtor was reimbursed in or about January 1988.

However, on or about March 15, 1988, the debtor’s salary was garnished a second time and the sum of $875 was withheld. The debtor did not receive a satisfaction of judgment until later that month, which his attorney then filed. The debtor’s salary was again garnished on or about July 6, 1988, for an additional $103.20 for interest and poundage over the $875 collected via the previous execution. The debtor was reimbursed by the New York City Sheriff on or about September 2, 1988, more than six months after the satisfaction was forwarded to him.

Charge Nine alleges that the respondent engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation and conduct which adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law with respect to the aforementioned satisfaction of judgment. The respondent’s staff informed the debtor’s attorney that the satisfaction of judgment had been taken care of on several occasions between August 1987 and March 1988. In his answer to the debtor’s complaint, the respondent made the following representation: "In January [1988], debtor’s attorney requested that we notify debtor’s place of employment of payment, which we did. Thereafter, debtor’s attorney re[215]*215quested a second notification which was done on March 9, 1988 along with a second satisfaction of judgment.”

The debtor did not receive a satisfaction of judgment until March 28, 1988.

Charge Ten alleges that the respondent is guilty of violation of Code of Professional Responsibility DR 5-105 (A) and (B) (22 NYCRR 1200.24 [a], [b]). The respondent was retained in or about October 1990 by a client to collect on judgments obtained by the client in connection with his insurance business. The respondent was also a principal of a realty corporation and was retained by that corporation as its attorney.

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Related

§ 3113
New York CVP § 3113(a)
§ 5222
New York CVP § 5222(a)
§ 90
New York JUD § 90

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Bluebook (online)
193 A.D.2d 211, 602 N.Y.S.2d 698, 1993 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9696, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-lehrman-nyappdiv-1993.