GET HELP: (314) 884-6058
Schedule a Consultation
  • HOME
  • How it Works
  • Pricing
  • Contact Us

Property & Asset Moves Cause Pain In A Divorce

April 4, 2016 by Marc Jacob

Dealing with competing claims on property in a divorce can spark conflicts that drag things out for months or years, and those delays can create headaches for both parties.

So it is for Maurice Amon, a Swiss businessman, and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Tracey Hejailan-Amon, who are battling in Manhattan Supreme Court over the status of an art collection valued at $25M.

According to filings, while Hejailan-Amon was traveling overseas, Amon relocated a number of pieces of modern art, including paintings by Basquiat and Andy Warhol, from their home in Manhattan to a storage facility in Queens.

He subsequently filed for divorce in Monaco, which doesn’t recognize marital property in divorces, although the couple had never lived there.

Hejailan-Amon subsequently filed for divorce in Manhattan, where a judge ordered the art collection to remain in storage until the parties conclude the action.

More recently, Hejailan-Amon fired her legal team and asked the court for a delay while her new lawyers get up to speed, which means that access to the art – and either party’s ability to sell any of it for an infusion of money – is off limits.

Amon has argued that declines in the art market mean any delays represent a substantial financial harm to him, while Hejailan-Amon argues that she helped build the collection and is entitled to a share of the profits.

Attorneys working on a case like this would have their work cut out for them well before their client filed for divorce.

First, they would have to consider whether a hypothetical husband in a situation like this is making the right call in moving the property to a storage facility prior to filing for divorce?

While every divorce is unique, there is a strong case to be made that when a spouse has concerns that filing may result in loss of property, removing it safely to an off-site location may be wise.

The disputed property will then immediately fall under court order, either through automatic orders or at the request of the other spouse, and can be dealt with as part of the divorce.

Another question that someone in a situation like this would need to consider up front is whether they are liquid enough to get through an expensive divorce without selling some of the property in question.

Whether the husband in this situation is actually in immediate need of the proceeds of a sale or not, the inconvenience of having to shift resources, delay other actions, or otherwise be held back by a court order is real, and may have damaging effects.

Not everyone hangs million dollar paintings on their walls, but most couples have accumulated substantial wealth and assets together after a long marriage. Determining how the physical goods or their monetary value is distributed between the two is a core concern for divorce lawyers representing either side.

Making sure that your spouse isn’t abusing the system with tactics designed to prolong the action, and hurt you financially, is another task that only an experienced attorney can handle.

At Zelenitz, Shapiro & D’Agostino, we are proactive advocates for our clients, starting in the planning phase of your divorce, sometimes long before you file.

We make sure that your most valuable assets are protected, and that your claims to property, custody, and financial resources are thoroughly argued.

If your marriage is ending in Queens, call the experienced Queens divorce team at Zelenitz, Shapiro & D’Agostino today at 718-523-1111 and talk to a lawyer for free.

Filed Under: Divorce

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

We strive to get back to you within 1 business day

* REQUIRED FIELDS

Contact
7733 Forsyth Blvd. #1100,
St. Louis, MO 63105
By Appointment Only.
Contact Us : 314-884-6058

Copyright © 2022 Home Sweet Legal

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

© 2022 Home Sweet Legal®, a division of The Jacob Law Firm, LLC d/b/a Marc Jacob, Esq. All Rights Reserved. Information provided on this website is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice. Transmission of information from this website or via Internet email from or to this website or via any forums hosted or provided by this website does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Links to sites maintained by third parties are for your convenience, but this law firm does not endorse those sites.

No attorney-client relationship exists until at least one Client has signed our fee agreement and the law firm has either signed it or sent a confirming email that we accept the representation.

Website & Marketing by: The Attorneys ATM