HOA lawyer suspended for ethics violations

You seem to be jumping to a few conclusions. Suspended in one state doesn't automatically mean you can't practice anywhere else where you have a license - did you check the rules in both states? You'd be surprised how often that happens.

When was the man suspended and why? You said major ethical violations and while that should make you go home, did the suspension have anything to do with his practicing HOA law? Did this happen several years ago? You may find it hard to believe, but people DO learn from their mistakes. I'm sure even you have made a few in your lifetime and you'll make lots more before you leave the planet.

There are 50 states and most people concern themselves with what's happening in the one they live in, so they probably didn't know the man had been suspended. As I said if he's suspended in one, that doesn't prevent him from practice elsewhere.

Yes tbe man was wrong about the proxies, but the board and everyone else can read too - why didn't you or anyone else ask why there would be an expiration date on a proxy lasting one year if you planned on using it for two? Why didn't you point that out at the meeting? Or check your documents to see if it addressed use of proxies?

If you're ticked off at the board for other reasons, it's OK to rally your neighbors together to vite them out, but I think you'll need more than this to convince them. And who will step up and serve in their pkace? You'll need people willing to do that- and YOU may need to be one of them. That will then put you in the hit seat, so be careful what you wish for, you may get it,

OK, that is serious - and sadly, I've seen this happen with banks, financial advisors, government employees, stockbrokers, educators - along with board members, property managers and even homeowners who've done this with their family members.

You still didn't say when this happened or the type of restitution the attorney had to give to the client. His compliance with that and what he's done since is what matters. Yes, he could have figured out another way to rip peopke off, which is why you trust, but verify (the only thing ronald Reagan ever said that I agree with).

Now that the board is aware, I would hope they had a conversation with the attorney about this. They should be mindful of what he's done for the association since being hired. If he's done what he was paid to do, that's what the board should keep in mind. If they decide to make a few changes on what he does for the association or to go elsewhere, that's OK, too. Step back and see what they decide to do.

And that still doesn't change the other things I said. Homeowners should be paying attention to what the board does, ask questions - and offer to help, such as doing research on potential vendors.

Say! That's something you can help with since you found this out. Why not offer to go through the BBB website or other places to check a vendor's complaint history or check their references ?

Are you sure the basis of the ethics violation was not a felony conviction? Did you further dox this attorney to see if he was ever convicted?

Is the guy's license to practice in this other state still suspended? Are you sure that he did not appeal and then negotiate a voluntary surrender of his license for x years (very much like Bill Clinton many years ago)?

Funny. I know a former attorney who did exactly the same thing: Commingled funds and then withdrew some for his personal use. He was convicted of grand larceny, a felony. After the conviction he was disbarred. He was going to appeal the disbarment but then negotiated this down to a voluntary suspension for x years. After he was outed, he began telling people he was not disbarred and that he voluntarily surrendered his law license. Who knows if the voluntary surrender part is true?

Given the recency, I do think the board and community should know about this. Just remember: First, there's always retaliation. Expect revealing it to put an even bigger target on your back. Second, this attorney is breaking no law.

I do not expect a board, made up of amateurs, to know how to dox a prospective attorney and then do the due diligence to confirm the guy they hired as an attorney is actually the one whose license was once suspended. You and I may know it is easy. But Boards are unpaid volunteers. They would not know a Rule of Professional Ethics from a dress code regulation at the local public school.

In a previous post, you said that Board was spelled "BORED".