"You Can't Lose on This."
D.C. lawyer John W. Stewart Jr. asked local real-estate investors to trust him. They did.
Cover Story
In July 2004, Melvin Sims went to the District’s annual tax sale, where houses and lots are auctioned off for the price of unpaid taxes. He put down $4,287 and received certificates for two pieces of property, which he hoped to give to his grandkids. To close the deal, he needed an attorney to file some paperwork in D.C. Superior Court.
The first time he tried to get legal help, he was scammed. A man at church had persuaded him and his wife to buy into a prepaid legal service for a few hundred bucks, so Sims called the number for the service. He expected that someone on the other line would be ready to do the work he’d already paid for. Not so. The service just referred him to an expensive Baltimore attorney.
Then Sims received a form letter from John W. Stewart Jr., Esq. Stewart picked up Sims’ address from the tax-sale purchase and wanted to represent him. “Please understand, this firm is not a cookie factory churning out hundreds of cases merely to make money off the client,” Stewart wrote. “We believe in building relationships and give personal attention to each client. We do not bill you for calls or visits to us, instead we encourage you to contact us anytime and as often as you may need in order to stay in touch.”
This was just what Sims needed to hear. One day in February 2005, he visited Stewart’s 15th Street NW office for a free consultation. ... Continued
This week's best in Arts and Entertainment.
Enter a keyword, select the type of event, and the particular day this week below.
Submit your event to the City Paper's Event Calendar.
Enter a restaurant name, or select a cuisine and neighborhood below.
Select a movie theater in the box below to see a list of all movies at that theater.
...Or view a full list of theaters, films, and showtimes.