Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Arbitration & Mediation Blogs -> Florida Mediator

Arbitration & Mediation

: Florida Mediator

The Mediator Who Wasn?t!

By Perry S. Itkin, J.D., M.S.

Huh?!? According to the Sun-Sentinel in this article, Rachel Otto who has been arrested for impersonating a police officer also has been accused of impersonating a mediator or lawyer or both.

She has a pending court case involving allegations that she pretended to be an attorney and charged her 70 year old neighbor more than $10,000 for her ?mediation? in a car crash, according to police reports.

Last June her neighbor reported to police that Otto had committed a fraud against him. He told police that a month after he was involved in a car crash, he found a note from Otto on his front door claiming that detectives had come to her door asking about him. The note urged him to call Otto because she was a lawyer and wanted to discuss what the police had told her.

A woman then called him, identifying herself as a detective, warning him he would be arrested if he did not pay money to the other party in the crash. He then called Otto, who told him she could ?mediate? the case. The 70 year old gave Otto $2,000 of his own money and borrowed money from friends for a total of $10,600, to settle the case and pay Otto, according to police reports.

By the way, if you?re not sure who you are, you can take this free [really!] Enneagram test from the Enneagram Institute.

To email me, click Perry S. Itkin.

Full post as published by Florida Mediator on March 27, 2007 (boomark / email).