close_game
close_game

Can you buy Trump Tower at auction in New York? Not anytime soon

Reuters |
Mar 26, 2024 09:49 AM IST

It may be well over a year before Trump Tower and other prized real estate holdings are on the chopping block.

New York state could start seizing Donald Trump's properties if he doesn't post a bond by Monday to cover a $454 million civil fraud judgment, but it may be well over a year before Trump Tower and other prized real estate holdings are on the chopping block.

A New York City Police Department (NYPD) vehicle in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue after former US President Donald Trump departed the building for his court hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on March 25.(AFP)
A New York City Police Department (NYPD) vehicle in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue after former US President Donald Trump departed the building for his court hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on March 25.(AFP)

Seizing the former U.S president's sprawling real estate empire, which includes Trump Tower in Manhattan, a 370-acre estate in Westchester and his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, would not entail sheriff's deputies storming the lobby of Trump's buildings or chiseling the real estate mogul's name off of facades.

Read more: Stellantis layoffs: This company fired 400 employees on call: ‘Mass firing of everybody that joined’

The process is more similar to a bank foreclosure, legal experts said. “Seizing' a property is a poor way to describe it, because it gives the impression that someone goes and grabs it,” said Alan Sash, a New York lawyer who specializes in asset forfeiture.

“It’s not like that at all. It’s slow and methodical.” Trump, a Republican set to face Democrat Joe Biden in the November election, was found liable in February for overstating his net worth and the value of his real estate properties to dupe investors and lenders. James, a Democrat who brought the fraud case, has said her office is prepared to immediately seize Trump’s assets if he fails to meet the Monday deadline.

Seizing and selling the property at auction would likely take well over a year given the complex ownership structures and debt arrangements of his properties, as well as his ample legal resources, experts said.

Read more: Ousted co-founder Adam Neumann offers to buy back WeWork out of bankruptcy for over $500 million: Who is he?

Trump has denied wrongdoing and an appeals court could still pause enforcement of the judgment while reviewing the case. He said in a string of recent social media posts that he may be forced sell assets at "fire sale prices" to post bond. The attorney general’s office declined to comment, and Trump’s lawyers did not respond to requests for comment.

New York law has aggressive civil enforcement laws compared to other states, legal experts say, but seizing and liquidating real estate is more complex than taking someone's bank accounts or valuables. James will be able to go after any properties Trump owns to satisfy the judgment and would not be limited to the half-dozen properties at the heart of the case. But she would need a court to sign off on foreclosing any property, and Trump could object, arguing that it would be unjust for his property to be sold off while his appeal is pending. James last week registered the judgment in Westchester, a suburb of New York and home to the Trump Organization's Seven Springs estate, as well as the Trump National Golf Club. The move is an initial procedural step that is necessary if James wants to seize these properties.

Stay updated with the...
See more
Stay updated with the latest Business News on Petrol Price, Gold Rate, Income Tax Calculator along with Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, November 15, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On
// // //