Audrey Heslop-Mendez and Dahlia Allison Allen

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The National Housing Trust complained against attorneys Audrey Heslop-Mendez and Dahlia Allison-Allen, partners in Allen, Heslop & Co. The firm obtained the duplicate certificate of title and discharge of mortgage from the NHT on a professional undertaking (signed by Heslop-Mendez) to pay $1,493,289.58 plus interest on completion of the sale of 11 Barnes Drive and not to deal with the title prejudicially to the NHT. The property was sold to Doreen Williams, the mortgage discharged, but the NHT was never paid. The Committee found both attorneys guilty of professional misconduct, holding the conduct was dishonest and grossly dishonourable. Both were ordered struck off (each having prior strike-offs) and ordered to pay restitution of $1,493,289.58 with 12% interest from 27 August 1999.

Duties found breached:

• Uphold public trust in the profession
• Competence

Aggravating factors:

• Both attorneys already struck off the Roll for prior acts of professional misconduct
• Complainant lost its security and was never repaid
• Attorneys failed to attend hearings and never initiated contact to satisfy the undertaking
• Conduct could undermine the conveyancing system in Jamaica