Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani could sell his condo in Palm Beach due to bankruptcy
Giuliani’s license revoked, court finds he lied about 2020 election
Rudy Giuliani lost his license to practice law in New York after a state appeals court found that he lied when he claimed the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani may be forced to sell his waterfront condo in Palm Beach to comply with a court order due to massive financial difficulties.
Giuliani, who made headlines as former President Donald Trump’s lawyer, has agreed to a deal that would complete his personal bankruptcy case while also requiring him to sell either his New York apartment or his Palm Beach condo within the next six months and pay $100,000, according to a proposed order filed Wednesday in the Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy court for the Southern District of New York.
On July 15, Giuliani filed a declaration of residency in Palm Beach County to declare the Palm Beach condominium his permanent residence, which could complicate any foreclosure proceedings on that property, which may be protected under Florida state law.
Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in December after two Georgia election officials, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, were ordered to pay $148 million in damages for Giuliani’s false media allegations that Freeman and Moss were involved in alleged voter fraud in their state.
The proposed deal still needs to be approved by Judge Sean Lane.
The $100,000 and proceeds from the property sale will be used to pay legal costs owed to Global Data Risk, an accounting firm hired by Giuliani’s creditors, which is owed about $400,000, according to court documents.
If the deal is approved, Giuliani would have to turn over the $100,000 to his lawyers at Berger, Fischoff, Shumer, Wexler and Goodman to pay to Global Data Risk, then he would have to offer either his New York apartment or his Palm Beach condo, located in the Southlake Condominiums at 315 S. Lake Drive.
As part of the proposed order, Giuliani must also maintain both properties at least in their current condition and obtain building insurance on each property that covers at least the amount owed to Global Data Risk.
A spokesman for Giuliani did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Giuliani’s spokesman has in the past denied any wrongdoing in the case, calling the $148 million verdict unfair and saying it was part of an attempt to punish Giuliani “for disclosing Hunter Biden’s laptop.”
Giuliani purchased the apartment in February 2010 with his then-wife Judith Nathan Giuliani for $1.41 million. The apartment was last listed for sale in 2019, before the Giulianis’ bitter divorce, with an asking price of $3.3 million. But a buyer was never found, and Giuliani took sole ownership of the apartment as part of the couple’s divorce settlement.
The listing agents in 2019 were J. Ronnie and Jennifer Hasozbek-Garcia, then with Waterfront Properties and Club Communities, now with Premier Estate Properties. Ronnie Hasozbek-Garcia told the Palm Beach Daily News on Thursday that no one has contacted him or his wife about relisting the condo for sale.
According to court records, the condo is valued at $3.5 million. The Palm Beach County Assessor’s Office website estimates its value at $2.67 million for 2022 and $3.07 million for 2023. If Giuliani is unable to sell either condo within the next six months, Global Data Risk can foreclose on both properties, court records show.
Giuliani was disbarred in New York last month for his role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election by making false claims of voter fraud and election interference.
Giuliani has struggled financially in recent years. In addition to the election interference conviction and another lawsuit from a former employee, he was faced with an IRS lien on his Palm Beach condo.
He also fell behind on paying property taxes on the Palm Beach condo. Between Nov. 17 – just over two weeks after the Palm Beach Post reported on a creditor’s plans to foreclose on the condo by April – and June 28, Giuliani paid three years’ worth of property taxes to the county totaling $128,769.85, including fees, according to the county’s tax office website.
The Southlake condominium is located in an iconic serpentine building. Unit 5D has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, an east-facing balcony, and is within walking distance to Palm Beach’s famous Worth Avenue.
Palm Beach Daily News writer Darrell Hofheinz contributed to this report.
