(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . New allegation: Public defender, attorney rented out house that wasn't hers to OPD client – Daily Montanan [1] ['Keila Szpaller', 'More From Author', '- June'] Date: 2023-06-15 A lawyer in the Missoula Office of the Public Defender who is being sued for fraud over allegations she filed illegal construction liens against a house is facing additional allegations — including that she took “unauthorized possession” of the house and rented it out to at least one of her own OPD clients. Scotti Ramberg, defendant in the complaint, has not filed a response in court to the original lawsuit. She declined to comment in an earlier phone call and could not be reached by email late Thursday. The Office of the Public Defender, where Ramberg has worked, confirmed Ramberg remains an employee but declined to comment on how the nature of the allegations might affect her duties at the agency. “As public defenders, we take seriously the obligation of those making allegations to bring forth proof of their claims, and we do not pre-judge individuals or situations based on unproven allegations,” said Andrea Moore, OPD communications officer, in an email Thursday. “This is what the justice system is for, and we would hope and expect that any individual that values fairness, equity and justice would feel similarly.” Ramberg is listed in the state’s salary database as employed by the Office of the Public Defender in 2023 at the rate of $41.63 an hour, or an annual salary of $86,590. In the lawsuit, plaintiffs Joseph Bruno and Laura Knight, who own the property, allege Ramberg set up a couple of shell companies, filed illegal construction liens against the house around $109,000, and tried to force its foreclosure. Bruno bought the house in late 2005 and lived there for many years until his brother died, according to the original complaint. Then, Bruno left for California, leaving the house vacant, the complaint said. In addition to the invalid liens against the property, the amended complaint alleges Ramberg also applied for a homeowners’ policy through an insurance agency in Harlem, Montana, in February 2021. Even though she had no legal ownership of the house, “she presented to the insurance company otherwise” and was granted a policy, said the amended complaint, filed June 12. Then, in April 2021, Ramberg filed a claim against the “fraudulent homeowner’s policy” for apparent wind damage on the roof of the house, and the insurance company paid her $9,574, the lawsuit said. The money was paid for damage “to a house she did not own.” The “illicit” policy Ramberg purchased expired in February 2022 and was not renewed, the lawsuit said. The amended complaint also said in early 2021, Ramberg trespassed and took “actual physical and unauthorized possession” of the house, and she then leased it to “at least one of her clients” from the Office of the State Public Defender. “It is believed that Ms. Ramberg charged rent and earned revenues renting out the house to her own clients,” the lawsuit said. OPD declined to comment on whether the tenant was one of Ramberg’s clients at the agency. Ramberg also leased the house to another tenant for roughly three months starting in July 2021, said the amended complaint. It said she provided that tenant with a key code to enter the premises and collected roughly $2,100 in rent, or $700 per month. “During this period, Ms. Ramberg removed personal property belonging to Mr. Bruno and discarded it,” said the lawsuit. “Again, Ms. Ramberg had no legal or actual ownership of the house.” The initial allegations were filed last month, and they outlined a series of actions involving Ramberg, a couple of shell companies, the homeowners association, and the HOA attorney Rufus Peace. Peace, a lawyer, was admitted to the bar the same day as Ramberg and shares an address with Ramberg at least on paper. SLR Holdings, one of the companies Ramberg registered with the Secretary of State’s Office, is also a defendant in the lawsuit; additionally, it lists John Does 1-10. The initial complaint alleges Ramberg is using a couple of companies she registered to try to defraud the plaintiffs by filing illegal liens against the house. The HOA had filed a couple of liens against the property as well for unpaid water bills, and court records say the HOA assigned all the interest in the lien from 2020 to one of the companies Ramberg created. In a separate proceeding, records show Ramberg tried earlier to illegally foreclose on the property. The court intervened. The invalid liens and “slander of title” in the current lawsuit are preventing the rightful owners, the plaintiffs, from refinancing the house, taking out a line of credit against it, or any other transactions they should be able to make, said court documents. The lawsuit asks the court to invalidate the liens and award damages and attorneys’ fees. In the email, Moore said OPD supervisors investigate all allegations that would, if true, affect an individual’s ability to effectively and ethically practice law. She also asked that Ramberg’s privacy be respected. “In consultation with our agency HR Department, OPD supervisors take appropriate corrective actions based on any proven violations of ethical rules or state or agency policy,” Moore said. OPD said public defenders take seriously an attorney’s legal and ethical obligations, and agency attorneys, like all other licensed lawyers in Montana, are bound by the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct. The rules call for ethical dealings, for example, and note a lawyer who commits fraud is subject to discipline. They also call for a lawyer’s conduct to “conform to the requirements of the law” in professional and personal affairs. They state it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to “engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.” “OPD also is bound by agency and state policy regarding employee conduct and ethics,” Moore said in an email. 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