Steven R Ebert

Steven Ebert

This commentary is replete with mistruths. We took over from another attorney who did not and could not deal with the client any more. The client was selling and purchasing simultaneously, her listing agent did not even attend the closing, the selling agent refused to speak with her and the other attorney sent a time is of the essence letter and she was on the verge of defaulting on her contract. We inherited a contract from another attorney and turned it all around completed both closings within 30 days. Initially the client was very appreciative and thankful. However, under her sale contract (which was drafted by the prior attorney) the client had the right to rent back the apartment as a tenant from her buyer. The client exercised that option. Per the contract that the client signed before we were ever hired, $10,000 remained in escrow to ensure that she followed the contract, kept the apartment in the proper condition and left timely. The terms the contract plainly required the client to change out certain light fixtures. Said client refused to do so. The purchaser made certain requests for the client to follow through on their obligations and the client responded that the other party could sue her for it. Per the contract, if the parties could not come to an agreement as to any open issues, the other party had 30 days to initiate a lawsuit. The other party indicated they would sue, and then at the deadline felt that it was not worth their while. The client completely understood same, and in fact in her emails to me indicated on mulitple occasions that the other party had 30 days to sue her, and if not then after 30 days the escrow had to be returned. The first business day after the 30-day window required under the contract was the first business day we had power at the office as we lost power due to Hurricane Sandy. Notwithstanding all of the chaos from the hurricane, the client was contacted on that first day (a Monday). Between that Monday and the next 2 business days, I sent the client approximately 7 emails indicating that the other party declined to initiate the litigation, the escrow check is written and I can either mail the check or she can pick it. Considering that it was a $10,000 check and that she lived about a 5 minute walk from the office, I recommended that we meet & I hand it to her personally. However, with her okay, I was happy to mail it as well. The client denied receiving any of the approximate 7 emails I sent, and then we spoke on Wednesday by telephone. She refused to meet me at my office, so we agreed to meet at a middle point-- at the branch of the bank that was the location of the representative that made the introduction in the first place. This was a location that she, not me, chose. At the meeting & in the presence of the bank officer and a staff member of the firm, I not only gave her the proper escrow check, I gave her copies of all of the emails I sent to her that week. She refused to read them & then claimed that they were fabrications and that I used the "cut & paste" options to generate them and then she threw them on the desk of the bank representative. At the time there was no snow on the ground or any snow coming from the sky. It did snow later that night. In summation, we went out of our way for this client. We inherited a horrible situation in which the client was in a dangerous position and turned it around. The client's real estate agent never showed up for her closing for her sale, and none of the parties wanted to have any dealings with her. We received compliments from every other person in the working group & within 10 days of the closing we received a referral from one of the real estate agents for a transaction now in contract. The client became hostile to us after the purchaser addressed the issue of the lights. The client was inappropriate. We worked hard, saved the client from default & closed everything properly. This post is disingenuous and should be removed.