Have some clients I'm representing who are cleaning up a mess left behind by a recently deceased relative. He was real property rich, cash poor, and has a trust that is rather cumbersome for what really needs to be done. A bit too one-size-fits-all from a big firm versus really being tailored to his needs.
Well, we start to fix things up and get administering.
Since he's real property rich, we need to sell some properties to meet the very real cash flow needs to the trust and the beneficiaries, especially as at the time he died the gentleman was late with payments for things like property taxes which is not a good thing as losing valuable properties to tax foreclosure is a rather bad way to kick off your trust.
So we contact one of his renters about paying rent and also about showing the premises to potential buyers as the trust should be doing a lot less landholding and more land selling at this point to get everything balanced.
Starts out friendly but they then make a ridiculous lowball offer to buy the place way below market value and then get hostile when the lowball is rejected.
They then want to deny any access to inspect the premises or let people in to see it as it is offered for sale. Unfortunately they have a crappy lease that doesn't spell out Landlord's rights of access very well but does allow the Landlord to inspect the premises.
We send over a nice letter that we'll work hard to reduce any disruption and will give 24 hour notice of any inspection.
We get a letter back from an attorney from out of state. Most likely the tenant's relative. I can't find him in the bar directory, but tenant claims he's licensed in Michigan. Not unless he's changed his name he's not.
He then states he's not admitted in Michigan but hes in a firm with "national reach".
Well, yipee for that. But yet he still makes demands for stuff and wants to be provided stuff as their attorney.
Not how this works, sport. You can't practice law in a state in which you are not admitted to practice and I'm rather sure he knows that.I send back a nice letter "Please confirm if your named attorney wants to commit the unauthorized practice of law in Michigan by continuing to represent you in this matter, and we will then communicate with him accordingly."
No response yet.
2 comments:
I bet you a nickel that the 'firm with "national reach" ' would take a dim view of their associate's flying their banner while trying to practice in a state where he is not a member of the Bar. It reflects poorly on them and I sincerely doubt that his seniors know he is doing it.
Hey Aaron;
What Eaton said, LOL Betcha the guy is trying to do his shiftless nephew a favor and now it is coming back to bite him, LOL Difference between the minnows and sharks. Have fun with this one.
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