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My wife advertised her car for sale online, and had an email

 

Customer Question

My wife advertised her car for sale online, and had an email response from a very overbearing person; he was dictating to her, what he was going to do. It frightened her, and she asked me to reply, which I did. I told to person to buy the other car her referred to, and stop annoying us with his stupidity. I then received 8 emails in a row, and they became increasingly derogatory. The person is now openly defaming me, calling me a psychotic, a drug user, a substance abuser, a liar, a loser, insane, and the list goes on. He has sent these same emails to a person in authority, and I have copies of the same attached as CC's by him.
In told, in the last 2 days, he has sent some 50 emails, from his place of employment, his blackberry, and without doubt, soon to from elsewhere.
It's no use going to his employers, he's the CEO, and it's a law firm, but he is not a practising solicitor.
I want to stop him, and then sue him; how do I first stop him; my wife is terrified now.

 

Optional Information:
State/Country: Australia

Already Tried:
Law Society, and as he is not a practising solicitor, it is out of their jurisdiction; he repeats his defamation of me to them.

Submitted: 1016 days and 1 hours ago.
Category: Australia Law
Value: AU$36
Status: CLOSED
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Expert:  Maurice replied 1015 days and 23 hours ago.

HelloCustomer

This is extremely unusual behavior from a person holding this position who does not know your wife personally and least of all over a car?
Are we dealing with a complete stranger here?

If so, and he has placed your wife in the state of mind as you have described where she feels threatened, you need to call the Police.

This person needs to be spoken to by an officer to establish whether or not charges need to be considered, the interview alone should work towards he first stage of getting him to stop.

Secondly, he may be the CEO but that does not necessarily mean that he is the owner, you may consider making the owner/s aware of the action.

The other option, depending on whether this firm handles actions in defamation, is to set up a meeting with one of the lawyers who handle these matters and present yourself as a Client, but don't reveal the name of the person who is defaming you until the facts are shared in full, and once they are, no doubt the firm can not represent you as a conflict of interest so you finish up with free advice on how to pursue one in an action of defamation and a lawyer at the firm being aware that there could be action in defamation pending against their CEO.

As mentioned, an unusual behaviour from a complete stranger in the position of CEO of a law firm, if there is more to this set of facts that changes my initial suggestions please advise.

I trust this information is of assistance and that you will kindly accept my answer as I wish you the best in this matter

Regards

Maurice

Customer replied 1015 days and 23 hours ago.

Hi Maurice, he's in NSW and we are in Qld, some 1000klm distant. We don't know him, have never spoken with him; he replied to my wife's car sale advert in a very aggressive manner. The car sales site clearly showed my wife to be japanese by her name, and I believe he was trying to intimidate her from the beginning.

I replied to him and he suggested he buy another vehicle he referred to, and not to bother us with his stupidity, or as he was using the law firms email, I would report him to his principals. He has gone completely off the planet, aggressive, abusive, inflammatory, defamatory, and he has sent in excess of 50 emails in 2 days; he will CC to the Law Society without fear, because he knows they can do nothing because he is not a practising solicitor. He is still emailing with the last one calling me a " dirty drug addict ". I have approached the Federal Police, they say to go to the State Police, which I did, even they say they are limited. This person very obviously has personal issues that make him dangerous. The Federal Police have advised to change our details, but this person knows where we live and all.

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Expert:  Maurice replied 1015 days and 22 hours ago.

HelloCustomer

If the State Police are limited (or choose not to list this matter as priority for attendance) than communicating with the owners of the law firm needs to be the next step, although its not a business related matter where a client is complaining about the service offered by the firm, it still goes to the heart of how the law firm wants to be represented and conveyed in the market place, and I suspect that once you mentioned you would go to the Principals that he has gone into , what you refer to as "off the planet", also in panic mode where he wants to beat you into submission.

The other, distinct, possibility, is that perhaps your not dealing with the CEO at all, and its some crazed employee hacking into their email? Who knows!

I would put a call into the firm and ask the question "who are the owners", or "If one were to lodge a complaint against the CEO of the firm, who would I need to contact or speak to?"

If you don't get the information you need you may need to contact the local media in QLD with the information you have not so much to have it published (which they would not do without confirming the facts) but to have another option available to you forcing the CEO or the owners to heed what you have to say about this terrible situation.

I trust this clarifies the question with some options for you and that you will respectfully XXXXX XXXXX answer as I wish you the best in this matter

Regards

Maurice

Customer replied 1015 days and 22 hours ago.

Hi Maurice,

 

Without doubt he is the CEO.

I have ascertained who one of the partners is, his personal mobile phone and email addresses; he is a councillor of the Law Society.

 

I will go to him and get back to you.

 

I went to the law firm yesterday, to be sheperded by a solicitor who says it's nothing to do with the firm, it's a private matter.

 

I expected this.

 

I will get back to you.

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Expert:  Maurice replied 1015 days and 22 hours ago.

OK, please do.

Customer replied 1015 days and 22 hours ago.

I'm going to name names now Maurice; his name isXXXXX he is the CEO/General Manager of Brydens Compensation Lawyers in Sydney.

I have just now emailed Robert Bryden, Partner, and have attached the latest insulting emails.

I have requested an urgent response.

I will contact you.

Accepted Answer

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Expert:  Maurice replied 1015 days and 21 hours ago.

Ok

Expert TypeLawyer
Pos. Feedback: 99.4 %
Accepts: 2760
Answered: 8/11/2009

Experience: Lawyer (Juris Doctor, MBA IntBus) with 25 years Australian Business Experience at Your Service

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