Horace Algernon Gray

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

Attorney Horace Gray was found guilty of professional misconduct for failing to deal with his client's land-purchase business with due expedition (Canon IV(r)) and for deplorable negligence (Canon IV(s)). The Panel found he had acted as the Complainant's attorney (as well as the Vendor's), failed to state the acreage or price-per-acre in the Agreement, failed to investigate the Vendor's title, paid over purchase money before the land was surveyed, and failed to stamp the Agreement. The Complainant ended up with about 4 acres instead of the 10 she believed she was buying. No express finding of dishonesty was made. He was fined J$400,000 and ordered to pay J$50,000 costs to the Complainant. Grounds (a), (b) and the failure-to-account ground were not made out.

Duties found breached:

• No baseless or threatened misconduct report
• No improper solicitation or touting

Aggravating factors:

• Considerable loss suffered by the Complainant, who ended up with land useless for her intended coffee farming
• Acted for both parties without making clear he was not representing the Complainant, despite a close social relationship and her trust
• Failed to obtain title or even prepare an application for title even by the close of evidence