Jerusalem Penthouse Hidden From Wife Valued at Millions, Husband Ordered to Share Half

A Jerusalem family court ruled that a husband must share half the value of a penthouse he concealed from his wife during their divorce proceedings, despite rejecting her claim to annul their prenuptial agreement. The wife discovered an undisclosed American bank account with nearly $400,000, a warehouse bought without a contract, and two apartments omitted from their marital property agreement. She sought to invalidate the agreement and redistribute assets, but Judge Moshe Brown dismissed the annulment request while including the hidden penthouse in the asset division.

The couple married in late 2003 and have two children. They signed an initial property division agreement in April 2015, which was never court-approved, and a full separation of property agreement was approved by the court in March 2018. The wife filed to cancel the agreement in July 2019, alleging deception and asset concealment. The court emphasized the high burden of proof required to annul a judicially approved prenuptial agreement.

The husband admitted hiding the Jerusalem penthouse, valued between 3.5 and 4.5 million shekels, claiming it was a gift from his parents in 2016 and thus exempt from division. However, evidence including recordings and testimony suggested the property was purchased, not gifted. The judge found the husband's refusal to summon his parents for testimony suspicious and ruled the gift claim did not reflect reality.

Other claims, such as the undisclosed bank account and a warehouse purchase, were rejected by the court. The husband was ordered to pay the wife half the penthouse's value as of March 15, 2018, plus linkage differentials and interest, along with 40,000 shekels in legal fees within 30 days. The ruling highlights the legal complexities of prenuptial agreements and asset concealment in divorce cases in Israel.