Rudy Giuliani is asking for a homestead exemption for either his New York City penthouse or his Florida condo, one week after a federal judge ordered him to hand over the Manhattan property along with a myriad of other valuables to a pair of election workers he defamed.
The cash-strapped former New York City mayor is asking a court for an exemption for one of his two properties. He is primarily seeking to protect his Palm Beach condo from getting into the hands of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss — whom he defamed and owes $150m — but alternatively, he asked to protect his Madison Avenue co-op apartment, a Friday filing says. Both properties are thought to be worth millions.
This request comes after a judge ordered him on October 22 to transfer his Upper East Side apartment — as well as some cash, a watch collection, his Mercedes Benz, a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt, and other belongings — to Freeman and Moss
Movers were supposed to arrive at his Manhattan apartment on Thursday, according to filings. It’s not immediately clear whether any of his property was seized or if the movers showed up. Nathan said he was unable to comment on the matter when asked on Friday afternoon.
This isn’t entirely surprising.
Not only did the judge allow the former mayor to claim this exemption “on or about November 1,” but on Wednesday, Giuliani’s lawyer said he was not “ready” to make the transfer, one day before movers were set to show, according to a filing from Aaron Nathan, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss.
Giuliani’s lawyer allegedly “could not even answer basic questions about the location of the receivership property, including the co-op shares and any particular items of physical property, or the amount of the cash accounts subject to turnover,” Nathan said.
His Manhattan apartment is estimated to be worth $5.6m while his Palm Beach place is estimated to be worth $3.5m, The Independent’s review of his assets found.
The future of his Palm Beach place was left up in the air as of the October 22 ruling, which made clear he is prohibited from doing anything to diminish its value as the judge determines whether it can also be transferred to Freeman and Moss.
The disbarred attorney has long been protective of his Florida condo, which he has represented as his primary residence. During his bankruptcy case, one of his lawyers suggested that forcing the 80-year-old to sell his Palm Beach condo could make him “join the ranks of the homeless.”
