NOTICE OF SUSPENSION ADB 8-87; 26-87 William A. House, P-23849, Detroit, MI by the Attorney Discipline Board affirming a hearing panel order of suspension.
1) Suspension - thirty days; 2) Effective September 15, 1989. The respondent failed to answer a formal complaint which charged that he was retained to draft a quit-claim deed and was paid $85.00 for that service, but failed to carry out the contract of employment. The panel found that the respondent should have performed the services himself or properly delegated the preparation of the deed to an associate. The panel found that the respondent#s default for failure to answer the complaint also established allegations that he failed to correct an error in the deed prepared by his office and failed to honor assurances to the client that he would refund the fee. The respondent's failure to answer that complaint was charged as a separate act of misconduct. His conduct was deemed to be in violation of MCR 9.104(1-4,7) and Canons 1, 2, 6 and 7 of the Code of Professional Responsibility, DR 1-102(A)(1,5-6); DR 2-110(A)(3); DR 6-101(A)(1,3) and DR 7-101(A)(1-3). The panel concluded that while the misconduct alleged in the original complaint warranted a reprimand, the failure to answer the complaint constituted a separate act of misconduct warranting a thirty-day suspension. The order of suspension was appealed by the respondent and was affirmed by the Attorney Discipline Board. Costs were assessed in the amount of $249.96.