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Event Regarding Property Litigation

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(@frank-willis)
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I was employed to represent someone in a land litigation, and it got ugly.

The opposing attorney in his pre-trial brief, "Willis is a hired gun. He is trying to sell the court a hummingbird for a turkey." I really took offense, but kept mouth shut.

During trial the same attorney was so hot and mad and aggressive that I could literally hear his heart beating in his voice when he was cross examining me. He was severely aggressive.

The court ruled in favor of my client and ordered the other side to pay my fees.

I got a letter from the same hot lawyer, and in it he told me that the court had directed them to pay my fees, and he asked me to send him the invoice. The last sentence in his letter said, "Frank, any break you could give us on cost would be appreciated."

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhaahahahahahahahahhahahahhahhahhhhhhahahaaha:-) 🙂 🙂

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 6:04 am
(@brian-allen)
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Now that is funny. Thanks a bunch, I needed a good laugh.

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 6:26 am
(@frank-shelton)
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"He is trying to sell the court a hummingbird for a turkey."

now there's a new one to remember...even if i'm not sure that he got his bird's in the right order;-)

Frank, don't forget to add in the time that it took you to put on your pants one slooooow leg at a time just so that you could be in court for the cheapskate to insult you:-D

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 6:28 am
(@larry-p)
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Sounds like he was zealously representing his clients interests. While it can be painful for us at the time, it's not unexpected.

The good news is, you are under no obligation to give them a break on the price. He understands this as well.

Who knows, in the near future you might get a call from this same attorney asking you to help one of his clients.

Larry P

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 6:34 am
(@a-harris)
Posts: 8761
 

Just remember it is a ploy by the attorney and remember they are allowed to act out and pretty much say whatever until the judge steps in. It is never like on TV and an attorney better have a valid objection with a voiced point of procedure or law before opening their mouth.

Beware of the attorney that asks the court if they can treat the witness as hostile witness because they are about to "go postal" on you and try to amp you to blow a gasket.

As a witness, blowing a gasket pretty much nullifies your testimony with the court.

Laughing at them is frowned upon in most courts too.

You just gotta take the brow beating and hold your ground with the facts and cause the attorney to blow their gasket until they choke and pass out, that is your goal.

B-)

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 7:09 am
(@larry-p)
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Exactly right Mr. Harris.

I once had a young female attorney who was trying her best to make me look bad. At one point she asked a ridiculous question.

After the question I made no response. The judge looked at me and asked if I was going to answer the question. I told him that I could not answer the question with a yes or no answer because it presupposed facts that she wanted to be true but which were not true. "Your honor that is like asking if I still have a drinking problem with a yes or no answer. Because I have never had any such problem, either answer is misleading and false."

He told me to answer the best I could and indicated I would be given all the time I needed to explain my answer.

As you might imagine the young lady was not very happy with me. She tried her best to make me look like an idiot but got the tables turned on her.

Larry P

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 7:31 am
(@tommy-young)
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Tell him, "hey, us hired guns are in it for the money. Send the full amount."

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 7:52 am
(@nate-the-surveyor)
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>
>
>
> "I was considering giving you a break, when you made the comment "Willis is a hired gun. He is trying to sell the court a hummingbird for a turkey."

That was the moment when my bill got multiplied by 4. But since you asked, for a break, I then took and gave you a 25% reduction......

In other words, let him eat his words.

N

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 8:21 am
(@pablo)
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Sounds like a good attorney to me. Make sure you send him a couple of your cards along with the bill with a note that 1.5% will be added on the bill after 30 days.

Pablo B-)

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 8:47 am
(@holy-cow)
Posts: 25292
 

Well played!

Sadly, the game of law is played unfairly.

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 2:25 pm
(@frank-willis)
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Great responses!! Funny.

 
Posted : July 25, 2013 6:08 pm
(@stacy-carroll)
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We live in a small town/county where everyone knows everyone. I think it was the second time I testified as an expert. I knew both attorneys well. The attorney for the opposing side really grilled me and tried to make me look like a fool. I held my own pretty well but by the time it was over I was really hot under the collar towards that attorney. I guess he could tell by the evil eye he received as I stepped down. He caught me outside and quietly told me that it was nothing personal, he was just doing his job and trying to represent his client as best he could. He shook my hand and went on his way. Later on I had many referrals from him. I guess I understood his point. It sure didn't help my opinion of his "profession" though.

 
Posted : July 26, 2013 8:52 pm
(@frank-willis)
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Nothing personal is a bunch of BS.

Sounds like you stuck to the objective facts and kept it non-personal from your end. Good job.

 
Posted : July 27, 2013 3:07 am
(@brad-ott)
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Hummingbirds & Turkeys

Well according to my extensive research on the world wide inter web:

The average weight of a hummingbird is 2 to 20 grams (lets say 10 grams).

The average weight of a Christmas turkey is 12 pounds (lets say 5,000 grams).

...let me know if you want me to finish the mathematical comparison?

 
Posted : July 27, 2013 10:25 am
(@frank-willis)
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Hummingbirds & Turkeys

Brad,

Funny!!:-D

 
Posted : July 28, 2013 5:43 am