The BC Law Society has obtained a court order to take over the legal practice of a Vernon lawyer it once said lacked “candour and honesty.”

The court order was granted on Sept. 5, roughly six months after the legal regulator found Leonard Hil Marriott had committed professional misconduct and ordered him to resign by July 1.

Marriott was also barred from practicing for 10 years.

“We can confirm that the Law Society obtained an order to take over Mr. Marriott’s former law practice, including all of his files and records,” the BC Law Society said in an email.

The Law Society’s move to take over his practice comes after the regulator claimed “despite several requests,” Marriott hadn’t provided it with evidence he’d wound up his practice.

“Mr. Marriott continues to hold trust funds in a solicitor’s trust account and it does not appear there is a practicing lawyer with signing authority on the account to properly deal with those funds,” the Law Society said in an Aug. 13 court document.

Last December, the regulator found Marriott had committed professional misconduct in his “sloppy” handling of a $1.2-million estate. He was ordered to pay back $70,000, the regulator found he had no right to take because the matter had not yet been finalized.

A few months later in February, Marriott was again found to have committed professional misconduct after he made “patently obvious” mistakes in his handling of a will and estate matter.

The Law Society found he had filed numerous materials to the court that were false.

In the Law Society’s recent petition to the court, it said it is investigating his conduct in respect to a client, referred to as MB in the document, who he appointed as power of attorney and executor in her will.

“From the said investigation and a review of various records, it appears that Mr. Marriott borrowed funds from MB, caused a 50% interest in MB’s residence to be transferred to Mr. Marriott and MB as joint tenants, which allowed a creditor of Mr. Marriott’s to register an encumbrance against the residence, and prepared a will, executed by MB, naming him as executor and leaving him a 75% interest in her estate,” the Law Society said in the court document.

Marriott first became licensed in 1992, although only practiced law for a few years. He had done business under the name North Valley Law and had offices in Vernon, Enderby and Armstrong. His Vernon office is now empty and has a for sale or lease sign on the door.

A court filing from May 2023 said the Canada Revenue Agency has a judgment against him for $175,000.

In February, law firm Sugden McFee & Roos filed a claim at the BC small claims court, claiming Marriott owed them $6,500 in unpaid legal fees. After getting no response, the court issued a default order.

In taking over his practice, the Law Society said it is confident the measure will protect the public going forward.