Nir Meir’s Bankruptcy Could Be Thrown Out

Nir Meir’s bankruptcy could be thrown out as the former real estate executive awaits a trial on charges of grand larceny, falsifying business records and tax fraud in Rikers Island.

Meir filed for personal bankruptcy just days before he was arrested at the 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami and extradited to New York. Meir claimed to have $30 million in liabilities and $50 to his name in his bankruptcy.

Now a trustee for the bankruptcy case is seeking to dismiss it.

The court-appointed trustee Miami lawyer Drew Dillworth argues Meir has been unable to attend hearings with creditors because of his incarceration. A hearing is set for October 2 where a judge will decide whether the case will proceed.

Meir’s decision to file for bankruptcy in February temporarily stopped the many civil lawsuits brought against Meir. Many of these lawsuits stemmed from unpaid debts Meir provided guarantees on while overseeing HFZ Capital.

But Meir was arrested and landed in much deeper legal trouble that same month. The Manhattan D.A. alleged Meir was the mastermind of an $86 million criminal fraud scheme that involved moving money out of real estate projects and inflating construction costs to obtain more money from lenders. The D.A. also accused Meir of directing HFZ accountants to withhold $15 million in property taxes.

Meir pleaded not guilty at his hearing in February and has has been unable to post the $5 million cash bail.

Meir lived lavishly during his glory days at HFZ and after he left in December 2020, spending $150,000 per month on a rental house in Miami Beach.

But Meir’s bankruptcy listed minimal expenditures, including $10,000 for child care and $4,000 for food and housekeeping supplies.

Meir’s criminal defense attorney Oliver Storch asked for a reduction in Meir’s bail at a July hearing in criminal court in Lower Manhattan. Storch requested that Meir be released and admitted to an alternative to incarceration program.

Storch argued Meir has been unable to participate in his bankruptcy case because of his incarceration at Rikers. He also brought up Meir’s divorce proceedings in Miami.

Judge Ann Thompson denied Storch’s request, but said she was open to hearing another proposal about Meir’s bail.

Since then, Meir’s divorce from his wife Ranee Bartolacci has concluded. Meir and his counsel did not attend a hearing while he was incarcerated, according to the Miami-Dade County court.

Bartolacci was given full custody and decision making for their children. Meir can apply for a modification of the court’s order only once his criminal case is resolved and he is permanently released from prison. Meir is not allowed to have any communication with his children, according to the parenting plan.

Katherine Kallergis contributed to the reporting.