1990-08

Unclaimed client trust funds–lawyer’s obligation to ascertain true owner, escheatment of unclaimed funds which appear to be lawyer’s fees to lawyer

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Unclaimed client trust funds–lawyer’s obligation to ascertain true owner, escheatment of unclaimed funds which appear to be lawyer’s fees to lawyer

SUMMARY OF THE QUESTION:
I practiced law from 1971 through 1985 and maintained a trust account at a local bank. I assumed a judicial office in 1985 and had a balance remaining in my trust account of $1,200.00. I continued to receive statements on that account. The account is now dormant. I have some 1,500 files accumulated which are now boxed and stored in my home. My old office has been leased to another attorney who had access to these files and handled inquiries from former clients. That arrangement ceased in October of 1987 and during the period from 1985 to 1987 no inquiries were received relating to any trust funds by that lawyer or by me. The amount accumulated in my account is somewhat confusing because I normally operated a zero balance accounting method disbursing funds from the account upon receipt. I have had several secretaries to work for me over the years and each kept books differently but I cannot reconstruct the various events of many years of practice. I cannot find where the balance came from other than the fact that these are probably attorney’s fees and expenses paid into the account but not disbursed to me. I feel that I have made a good faith effort to locate the claimants to these funds including advertising in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks. No claims or inquiries have been received and I would now like to close out this account and transfer these funds into my personal account. Please advise as to whether I may do so.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Attached to the request is a letter from the attorney that leased the former law office stating that there had been no inquiries as to funds held in the escrow account and also attached is a copy of the trust bank account showing a balance of $1,224.10 as of December 30, 1989, and a copy of a legal notice published in the local newspaper for three consecutive weeks in November of
1988.

ANSWER:
In addressing a similar situation the Disciplinary Commission opined that where funds cannot be attributed to a particular client, and where a reasonable and good faith effort has been made to determine the ownership of the funds, and where the funds have been held as long as necessary to assure that no unidentified client could make a successful claim against the account, an attorney might distribute those funds to the attorney’s estate. (TheAlabama Lawyer, January 1989, p. 49). The Commission quoted with favor ethics opinions from several different states holding that after reasonable and good faith attempts to ascertain ownership of the funds and after holding the funds long enough to make sure that no unidentified client could make a claim against the funds within any applicable statute of limitations, the funds could be distributed to the attorney’s personal account or, in the case considered by the Commission, to his estate.

Accordingly, having made a good faith effort and having exercised reasonable care to notify the former clients of the existence of the funds and having established a mechanism for the retrieval of the funds and having allowed sufficient time to expire, the Commission is of the opinion that you may now place these funds in your personal account.

AWJ/vf

3/12/90

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