Court Rules 13-Year Relationship Was Economic Exploitation, Not Partnership

A family court in Petah Tikva has ruled that a 13-year relationship between a 74-year-old single woman and a married man was not a common-law partnership but rather a case of economic exploitation. The man had moved into the woman's apartment, lived off her, isolated her from friends and family, and exerted control over her life. In 2022, the woman suffered a fall and head injury, but the man delayed seeking medical attention for her for 24 hours, leading to a stroke. He was later removed from the hospital due to aggressive behavior that endangered her health.

Following the woman's incapacitation, which left her physically paralyzed and unable to speak, a guardian was appointed. Even then, the man attempted to have himself appointed guardian, claiming to be her partner. A neutral organization appointed by the court reported that the man interfered with her care, visited her without permission, conducted unauthorized surveillance at the hospital, used her home and car, forced her to sign documents, and accessed her bank accounts. The judge met with the woman, who expressed no desire for contact with the man.

The court issued several restraining orders against the man, who continued to appear at her hospitalization facility and refuse to leave, despite her refusal to see him. These encounters reportedly caused her health to deteriorate due to stress. The organization managing her affairs filed a lawsuit to have the man removed from her apartment so it could be rented, as her nursing home costs were high. He also disrupted her other apartment, which was rented out, demanding the tenant leave.

The man refused to vacate the apartment, leading to a court-ordered eviction involving police intervention. He subsequently filed a claim for half of the woman's assets, asserting he was her common-law partner. He provided no evidence or affidavits but submitted a personal manifesto accusing the court and the organization of bribery and corruption. He also filed motions to disqualify the judge and numerous appeals, showing disregard for the legal process.

The court concluded that despite the man residing in the woman's home, they were not recognized as a couple, as their relationship was one-sided economic exploitation, lacking evidence of a shared household or financial partnership. His claim was dismissed, and he was ordered not to return to the woman's home. He was also ordered to pay 70,000 shekels in legal costs to the woman and 10,000 shekels to the state.