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.
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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.
