The Florida Bar v. Shannon

376 So. 2d 858, 1979 Fla. LEXIS 4843
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedNovember 1, 1979
Docket57322
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 376 So. 2d 858 (The Florida Bar v. Shannon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The Florida Bar v. Shannon, 376 So. 2d 858, 1979 Fla. LEXIS 4843 (Fla. 1979).

Opinion

376 So.2d 858 (1979)

THE FLORIDA BAR, Complainant,
v.
David L. SHANNON, Respondent.

No. 57322.

Supreme Court of Florida.

November 1, 1979.

John A. Weiss, Bar Counsel, Tallahassee, for complainant.

David L. Shannon, in pro. per.

PER CURIAM.

This disciplinary proceeding against David L. Shannon is before us on complaint of The Florida Bar and report of the referee. No petition for review has been filed.

The referee made the following findings of fact pertinent to Shannon's misconduct:

C. On February 10, 1963, Louis B. Schofield died in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, leaving an estate initially estimated to be worth $20,597.90 (Amended Report of Appraisers filed July 22, 1963). Assets listed in the estate were (1) real estate — appraised value $12,000; (2) cash — $6,105.42; and (3) personal property — appraised value $2,492.48.
D. The principal asset of the Schofield estate was the decedent's residence at 502 Ellison Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, Florida. This residence was sold after approval by probate court to Mr. and Mrs. George W. Holden for $8,500 on December 30, 1964. The Schofield estate realized $3,762.07 from the sale.
E. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Schofield's will respondent was named executor of the Schofield estate. Respondent also served as attorney for the executor.
F. Mr. Schofield's will left a specific bequest of $1,000 to Susan Clievely and the remainder of the estate was to be split up among three residuary legatees, one of whom was the complainant, Raymond G. Parkhurst.
G. Other than the $1,000 bequest to Mrs. Clievely and some personal property to the residuary legatees, no legatee received any assets from the Schofield estate.
H. Although there was pressure from Mr. Parkhurst in 1963 and 1964 on respondent to close out the estate Mr. Parkhurst and the other heirs did not pursue the matter after March 1965 until August 1976. At that time Mr. Parkhurst inquired of respondent in his office as to the status of the Schofield estate. Mr. Shannon gave an inconclusive response to the inquiry.
I. After meeting with respondent, Mr. Parkhurst retained attorney Thorwald J. Husfeld to check on the status of the estate. It was then determined that after the probate court's December 22, 1964, order authorizing the sale of the Schofield house the only record activity on the estate was respondent's Petition for Fees for Executor and for Attorney for Executor filed on February 25, 1965, accompanied by a Notice of Hearing, and a second Notice of Hearing filed by respondent on March 12, 1965.
*859 J. It was also determined by Mr. Parkhurst's attorney that no accounting had ever been filed by respondent in the Schofield estate and that it had been dismissed sua sponte by the probate court on November 20, 1972, for lack of action or inquiry.
K. On August 11, 1976, the probate court set aside its November 20, 1972, order of discharge and ordered respondent to immediately explain why there had been no accounting, no plan of distribution and no receipts from beneficiaries filed and to advise the court of the status of the estate.
L. Respondent replied to the court's order by filing a report on August 19, 1976, in which he stated that there were no assets in the estate for distribution and that he would promptly file an accounting.
M. On January 25, 1977, upon petition for rule to show cause filed by Mr. Parkhurst's attorney after respondent filed no accounting, the probate court issued its Order for Rule to Show Cause commanding respondent to appear before the court on February 25, 1977.
.....
AC. Respondent disbursed at least $3458.00 to himself by estate account checks payable to himself or to cash which he endorsed over to himself. Respondent acknowledges receiving these sums (Tr. 67). The one exception was a check for $100.00 dated August 8, 1963, which was endorsed by both respondent and Sylvia Van Kleeck. Respondent testified that the check was endorsed over to Mrs. Kleeck to pay her wages for doing secretarial work on the estate (Tr. 72). This was not verified by any evidence. His final accounting under description of disbursements makes no mention of this disbursement. The referee notes that this check is marked as "operating expenses" and not secretarial wages.
AD. Although the various checks made payable to respondent and to cash are marked as for "return of court costs," "current expenses re: administration," "operating expenses," etc., there are no receipts attached to the final accounting or presented into evidence before me indicating the nature or legitimacy of such expenses. Respondent testified that most of the money was paid to himself for labor (Tr. 5, 75).
AE. In addition to the sums disbursed to himself respondent received the $3,556.89 remaining in the Schofield estate account in April 1965. Respondent testified in his deposition that he assumed this sum was transferred into his escrow account in connection with the services that he performed (Depo. 39). At final hearing he testified that this sum was withdrawn from his trust account and paid to him for labor he expended on behalf of the estate (Tr. 108).
AF. Respondent received a total of $7,014.89 from the estate of Louis B. Schofield.
AG. In the final accounting respondent filed he acknowledges receipt of only $4,417.76. Respondent was unable to account for the difference between the $4,417.76 he acknowledges receiving and the $7,014.89 he actually received.
AH. In the final accounting respondent claimed the estate owed him an additional $2,214.74 for wages.
AI. Respondent billed the Schofield estate $6,412.50 for 855 hours of physical labor at $7.50 per hour by himself on behalf of the estate. Respondent was unable at final hearing to document those hours claimed. The referee also notes that although respondent claims $7.50 per hour for his menial and custodial services (Tr. 5, 75) that in at least one other instance he only paid $2.50 per hour for yard work to another individual (Estate Account check number 81). Respondent testified that as part of his physical rehabilitation from a mental breakdown that he did work on the estate that normally he would have had somebody else do (Tr. 115) (Depo. 17). If this is so, respondent should have paid himself laborer's wages.
AJ. Respondent's 855 hours worked on the Schofield estate constitutes an excessive *860 amount of time spent by respondent doing physical work on an estate of the nature of the Schofield estate. Other than an abundance of personal property there was nothing difficult about the estate that necessitated such an expenditure of time. Respondent averaged over 35 hours a month working on the estate. The referee notes that respondent testified that he charged $7.50 per hour for his time spent spending evenings at the Schofield house guarding against vandalism (Tr. 124).
AK. Respondent's 855 hours and $7,000 worth of efforts on behalf of the Schofield estate netted the estate (according to respondent's final accounting) $432.55 proceeds from the sale of personal property, $3,762.07 proceeds from the sale of the house and $527.02 in other proceeds for total income to the estate of $4,721.09.
AL.

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Bluebook (online)
376 So. 2d 858, 1979 Fla. LEXIS 4843, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-florida-bar-v-shannon-fla-1979.