Former Hapoel Tel Aviv Partner Rafi Agiv Ordered to Refund Nearly $900,000 in Faulty Land Sale
Rafi Agiv, a businessman known for his past role as partner and financial manager of the Hapoel Tel Aviv football club, became embroiled in a legal dispute over the sale of agricultural land. Agiv's company, Crakent, sold 100 square meters of farmland, part of a larger 23-dunam plot between Rehovot and Givat Brenner, to a couple for approximately 785,000 shekels. The land is included in future development plans for the Neve Chavatzelet neighborhood and the Bilu industrial zone.
However, the buyers later discovered that Crakent did not legally own the land at the time of sale. The company only held two partial liens dating from January 2023 on rights owned by another individual registered as owner of 500 square meters of the entire plot. Consequently, Crakent sold rights it did not fully possess. The buyers were instructed to transfer payment to another company, Agiv Capital.
Agiv personally assured the buyers they would receive full rights to the land and that their investment was secure. Despite these promises, the initial lien was registered late and covered only 80 square meters, with the full 100 square meters only registered three months later. Eventually, the liens were completely removed without the buyers’ knowledge. Agiv explained that a lawyer mistakenly transferred the power of attorney to the original land seller, who then deleted the liens amid a separate dispute.
Following prolonged unsuccessful negotiations, the buyers canceled the agreement in January 2025, about 18 months after signing, and filed a lawsuit represented by attorney Yaakov Betesh. The court ruled the cancellation justified and ordered Agiv and three other defendants to jointly and severally repay the buyers approximately 900,000 shekels, covering the purchase price, legal fees, linkage differentials, and interest.
Attorney Betesh noted the court pierced the corporate veil, holding Agiv personally liable due to his direct assurances, setting a precedent that personal commitments by controlling individuals override corporate protections. Agiv, now focused on talent representation and real estate, is known for managing Olympic and professional athletes in advertising and motivational speaking campaigns.
