The cruise ship Nili, one of the ships of the debt-ridden Somerfin Company, was ordered sold at auction by the Federal District Court here today to satisfy a bankruptcy claim. The 500-passenger ship has been tied up here since November 18 when the Israel Government asked a legal attachment on a claim that Somerfin had failed to meet a mortgage payment.
The Nili, which flies the Israeli flag, was tied up earlier this month for five days. The tie up stranded 500 passengers planning to make a Bahamas cruise. The ship’s local agent posted bond with the district court which cleared the Nili to sail November 22. The ship was seized again before that date.
Richard Ralph, a Miami attorney representing the Israel Government, said Israel will bid on the Nili in the auction to protect its interest in the mortgage of about $8,000,000. Other creditors also have filed claims. Date for the auction will be set soon.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
