Attn LAWYERS - ? about billing practices

[txlandlady]

What is the name of your state? TX

I recently consulted an attorney regarding some tenants who were filing bankruptcy, wouldn't leave, etc. He gave me good advice, told me his fee up front, and luckily the tenant wound up leaving before we actually had to "do" anything.

I'm more than happy to pay this attorney for the advice he gave me (over the phone)as agreed, but now that I get his bill I'm questioning his seemingly agressive billing tactics. He's billing me for the preparation of a letter to these tenants, which was never delivered to them, because we discovered the moving truck in the driveway. Did he actually prepare the letter?........I doubt it. He kind of drug his feet on it for 2 days (when it actually might have helped me get some of the $$ they owed me.) If he did actually prepare it, shouldn't he have sent me a copy of it?

Then he's billing me for correspondence. The "correspondence" is basically a summary of the phone converstaion we had the previous day. Useless. We verbally summarized our conversation before getting off the phone. I didn't ask for it, and I don't need/want it. Is this standard practice? I've NEVER had an attorney do such a thing. Plus, he's billing .25 hours for it, and a 2nd grader could have written it in 2 minutes.

I have NO PROBLEM paying him for his time. It just really seems like he's trying VERY hard to squeeze every minute he can into his billing. I liked his advice, and wouldn't mind continuing to use him. It's very hard to find attorneys who are well versed in landlord/tenant law beyond the very basics. If I write him a polite but firm letter will that straighten him out?

My cell phone bill is downloading as I type this so I can actually compare the length of our converstations to what he's billing me for. Some of the times on those seem rather exaggerated, too.

What does this sound like to ya'll, and how do I proceed?

Thanks in advance,
Karla in Amarillo

 

[BL]

What is the name of your state? TX

I recently consulted an attorney regarding some tenants who were filing bankruptcy, wouldn't leave, etc. He gave me good advice, told me his fee up front, and luckily the tenant wound up leaving before we actually had to "do" anything.

I'm more than happy to pay this attorney for the advice he gave me (over the phone)as agreed, but now that I get his bill I'm questioning his seemingly agressive billing tactics. He's billing me for the preparation of a letter to these tenants, which was never delivered to them, because we discovered the moving truck in the driveway. Did he actually prepare the letter?........I doubt it. He kind of drug his feet on it for 2 days (when it actually might have helped me get some of the $$ they owed me.) If he did actually prepare it, shouldn't he have sent me a copy of it?

Then he's billing me for correspondence. The "correspondence" is basically a summary of the phone converstaion we had the previous day. Useless. We verbally summarized our conversation before getting off the phone. I didn't ask for it, and I don't need/want it. Is this standard practice? I've NEVER had an attorney do such a thing. Plus, he's billing .25 hours for it, and a 2nd grader could have written it in 2 minutes.

I have NO PROBLEM paying him for his time. It just really seems like he's trying VERY hard to squeeze every minute he can into his billing. I liked his advice, and wouldn't mind continuing to use him. It's very hard to find attorneys who are well versed in landlord/tenant law beyond the very basics. If I write him a polite but firm letter will that straighten him out?

My cell phone bill is downloading as I type this so I can actually compare the length of our converstations to what he's billing me for. Some of the times on those seem rather exaggerated, too.

What does this sound like to ya'll, and how do I proceed?

Thanks in advance,
Karla in Amarillo

All the Lawyer is required to do is send you a bill outlining the Charges .

Really , you state you don't mind paying , but the come on here and nit pick .

Let me ask you , how much would his fees have been IF he actually had to carry out the eviction ?

Pay the Attorney .

 

[txlandlady]

No..........

Really , you state you don't mind paying , but the come on here and nit pick .

I said I don't mind paying him for the time he took to work on my legal matters. It seems like he's spending more time working on his BILL than he spent working for me.

Let me ask you , how much would his fees have been IF he actually had to carry out the eviction ?

Again, I would have been MORE than happy to pay him to evict the losers......if we had actually been able to make that happen. We had a window of opportunity during which to act (between bankruptcy filings) and as it took him 3 days to write the letter he's billing me for (which I haven't seen) I didn't collect any of the rent (which is what HE wanted me to go after.) I told him my goal was just to get rid of them. (Accomplished, but having nothing to do with anything he or I did.)

I've just never worked with an attorney who literally puts you "on the clock" for every little thing. I guess the ones I've dealt with in the past have been more flat fee or something. I was curious if it's common or allowed for them to dictate what work they do for you and not pass on work they supposedly have done? Guess it is.............??????

Don't worry........he'll get paid. I just don't like paying people for stuff they haven't done or for unauthorized work.

Thanks for your opinion, BL.

Karla in Amarillo

 

[south]

Sounds like you are being squeezed, did you tell him to go ahead and prepare a letter? If you did and you did not need it that is neither here nor there you have to pay.

You said he told you the fee up front unless you authorized him and said yes go ahead other fees should not appear.

You have to be careful when talking to a lawyer and emphasis the fees clearly that will be charged, if you ask for other stuff you will be billed.

As an example I called my lawyer one time just to ask one question if I should use a certain type of 1 page notice or not the lawyer stated I am not sure what you mean are you by a fax machine I said yes he said send it through let me see it....

I faxed it while on the phone within about 1 minute he said yes that’s fine..... 7 days later I get a bill $80 for reviewing document.

What is the name of your state? TX

I recently consulted an attorney regarding some tenants who were filing bankruptcy, wouldn't leave, etc. He gave me good advice, told me his fee up front, and luckily the tenant wound up leaving before we actually had to "do" anything.

I'm more than happy to pay this attorney for the advice he gave me (over the phone)as agreed, but now that I get his bill I'm questioning his seemingly agressive billing tactics. He's billing me for the preparation of a letter to these tenants, which was never delivered to them, because we discovered the moving truck in the driveway. Did he actually prepare the letter?........I doubt it. He kind of drug his feet on it for 2 days (when it actually might have helped me get some of the $$ they owed me.) If he did actually prepare it, shouldn't he have sent me a copy of it?

Then he's billing me for correspondence. The "correspondence" is basically a summary of the phone converstaion we had the previous day. Useless. We verbally summarized our conversation before getting off the phone. I didn't ask for it, and I don't need/want it. Is this standard practice? I've NEVER had an attorney do such a thing. Plus, he's billing .25 hours for it, and a 2nd grader could have written it in 2 minutes.

I have NO PROBLEM paying him for his time. It just really seems like he's trying VERY hard to squeeze every minute he can into his billing. I liked his advice, and wouldn't mind continuing to use him. It's very hard to find attorneys who are well versed in landlord/tenant law beyond the very basics. If I write him a polite but firm letter will that straighten him out?

My cell phone bill is downloading as I type this so I can actually compare the length of our converstations to what he's billing me for. Some of the times on those seem rather exaggerated, too.

What does this sound like to ya'll, and how do I proceed?

Thanks in advance,
Karla in Amarillo