Client seeks $90K from city attorney

Feb. 26--A Butler Township woman seeks more than $90,000 from a Hazleton attorney, who claims her money was stolen from his office.

Helen Andeara of Providence Place filed a civil suit claiming negligence and breach of contract against David Glassberg and the law firm of Glassberg and Doganlero.

Andeara entrusted her attorney, Glassberg, with a cash box containing $89,858 in cash from miner's benefits checks from the U.S. Treasury from November 1997 to June 2011 with the understanding that he would deposit the money into her bank account, according to the suit. She believes he didn't count the money or deposit it in her account, the suit said.

In June 2012, Andeara revoked the general power of attorney she had given Glassberg in February 2006, and appointed her son, John, to represent her, executing a durable power of attorney, the suit said.

In July 2012, Glassberg forwarded correspondence to attorney George Hludzik, acknowledging that he had been holding "a significant amount of cash" for Andeara, the suit said.

On Dec. 10, 2012, Glassberg advised Hludzik that he would deposit Andeara's cash at National Penn Bank the following day, less $4,670 in counsel fees, the suit said. In the same letter, Glassberg noted the money from the fees would be placed in escrow for three months and he would answer any questions about his bill.

On Dec. 11, 2012, Glassberg informed Hludzik that his office had been burglarized and Andeara's cash box stolen, the suit said. On Dec. 20, 2012, Glassberg advised Hludzik that he never counted the money in the box, the suit said. In the same letter, Glassberg estimated the cash in the box as much as $10,000, and that was what he told police and his insurance carrier.

Glassberg has not returned any of the cash from the box that Andeara gave him, the suit said.

Andeara is seeking $89,858 plus interest and costs.

___

(c)2014 the Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pa.)

Visit the Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pa.) at standardspeaker.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services