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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>First suggestion is to call The Florida Bar’s ethics hotline for guidance. Second suggestion is to hold money because now you have a big retainer. All the best!! Arnie.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org [mailto:clc-discussion-bounces@lists.flabarrpptl.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Charles B. Hernicz, Esq<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 26, 2013 3:18 PM<br><b>To:</b> clc-discussion@lists.flabarrpptl.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [CLC-Discussion] Dispostion of Funds Held In Trust Account<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Need some help on what to do with about $50k being held in my trust account. My client is an engineer who acted as a special inspector on a project. Before the work was completed, the owner replaced my client with another engineer while owing my client somewhat over $50k. I recorded a timely lien for the balance owed. After some wrangling, the owner sent me a check for the balance to hold in trust pending my client’s filing of special inspector reports and certification of work done before the replacement engineer came on. To skip to the good part, the owner now can’t get the permit closed out and won’t allow me to release the money to my client—holding it hostage to coerce some certification my client believes violates professional engineer rules. I am preparing a lien foreclosure/breach of contract action, but what happens to the money? Initially I intended to include an interpleader count in the complaint, but in an interpleader, my firm is the plaintiff asking for interpleader of the funds, not my engineer client. Should I just keep the funds in trust and plead the facts in the complaint, or file an interpleader naming my client and the owner and then file an answer for my client agreeing to the interpleader and cross-claiming for lien foreclosure and breach of contract?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Chuck<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:navy'>Charles B. Hernicz, Esq.<br></span><b><span style='font-size:7.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar <br></span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:blue'>Hernicz Legal Services, P.L.<br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'>15854 Bent Creek Road <br>Wellington, FL 33414 <br>Telephone: (561) 753-7511 <br>Facsimile: (561) 753-7082 <br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'><a href="Chernicz@HerniczLegal.com">Chernicz@HerniczLegal.com</a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>