PITTSBURGH – A California man who claimed that he was defrauded of $90,000 he paid to an Israeli lawyer and jewelry company founder, under the pretense that they were to form a professional and potentially romantic partnership, has been granted a default judgment of $190,000.
Michael Pitkow (as Executor of the Estate of Harvey Salzman) of Playa Vista, Calif. filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on May 20 versus Michael Meerhoff of Mount Lebanon and Yarden Haham of Perryton, Texas.
Haham has 404,000 Instagram followers and is an Israeli lawyer, dancer, social media influencer, teacher and model, and Pitkow began communicating with her on Aug. 16, 2021, the suit says.
“Haham is the founder of Jorden Jewelry, a burgeoning Israel-based jewelry company found in 2020. Pitkow owns and operates a jewelry business, Talisman Unlimited. Pitkow is also the Executor of the Estate of Harvey Salzman,” the suit said.
“Throughout the conversations between Pitkow and Haham, Haham spoke extensively about her business deals and her need for short-term liquidity to open up funds from which Pitkow would be paid back. To build credibility, Haham claimed to practice law in Tel Aviv, Israel and in Houston, Texas, where she had previously been employed by Fulbright & Jaworski, a Texas-headquartered global law firm. Haham also claimed to be a licensed attorney in the State of Texas. Haham further stated that the investments would unlock inheritances and complete other jewelry purchases, which would be turned into cash to pay back Pitkow.”
According to Pitkow, he believed that a business arrangement with Haham could lead to both romance and a business relationship, leading him to initially loan Haham $50,000, in order to obtain a return from her in three days totaling $100,000.
A loan and security agreement following these same terms on Sept. 9, 2021. Haham requested that the checks be made to her co-defendant, Meerhoff, whom the suit said is a scammer with a known criminal record.
Pitkow then sent the second check to Pittsburgh.
Not long thereafter, Haham told Pitkow she needed an additional $40,000 – which she claimed would yield an interest payment totaling $100,000 to Pitkow, the suit said.
Pitkow then sent defendant this additional amount, however, Haham pleaded with Pitkow for an additional $10,000, the suit said.
“After Haham failed to make payments on the initial loans, Pitkow refused any further requests for more money and demanded back the money he sent as earlier loans. Pitkow informed Haham that, due to her and Meerhoff’s improprieties and falsehoods, he was suffering from new cardiac symptoms, stress and money problems which were shortening his life and making his quality of life worse. Haham responded by telling Pitkow that the way to relieve his problems was to send additional money so that Pitkow could recover the money he had sent in previous transactions. Pitkow loaned Haham a total of $90,000 for a purported jewelry business,” the suit stated.
“Pitkow has seen none of that money returned and is owed well over $100,000 according to promises between the parties, not including the percentage of the inheritance and percentage of the profits from the jewelry business. On March 28, 2022, someone purporting to be FBI Agent Olivia James, contacted Pitkow regarding the impending arrest of Haham. Agent James made representations to Pitkow that Haham was going to pay her debt to him 100 percent guaranteed. Agent James also claimed to have frozen all of Haham’s bank accounts. Pitkow has suffered emotional, psychological and physical pain resulting from Haham and Meerhoff’s deceit and fraud.”
On July 11, the plaintiff filed a praecipe for entry of default judgments against defendants Meerhoff and Haham.
“Kindly enter judgment in favor of plaintiff Michael Pitkow and against the defendant Michael Meerhoff, for said defendant’s failure to file a responsive pleading to plaintiff’s complaint in the above-captioned action pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1037. Pursuant to the complaint filed in the above-captioned action, judgment against defendant Meerhoff is hereby requested in an amount to be determined on a motion for assessment of damages. It is certified that on June 28, 2022, a written 10-day notice of intention to file this praecipe was served on said defendant at his last known address by first-class mail,” the filing stated.
“Additionally, kindly enter judgment in favor of plaintiff Michael Pitkow and against the defendant Yarden Haham, for said defendant’s failure to file a responsive pleading to plaintiff’s complaint in the above-captioned action pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1037. Pursuant to the complaint filed in the above-captioned action, judgment against defendant Haham is hereby requested in an amount to be determined on a motion for assessment of damages. It is certified that on June 23, 2022, a written 10-day notice of intention to file this praecipe was served on said defendant at her last known address by first-class mail.”
The following day, July 12, the plaintiff filed a motion for assessment (a calculation) of that same default judgment.
UPDATE
As requested, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Alan D. Hertzberg entered a default judgment against the defendants in the amount of $190,000 on July 20.
“Upon consideration of plaintiff’s motion for assessment of default judgment against the defendants, it is hereby ordered that a judgment be entered against defendant Meerhoff in the amount of $190,000 and against defendant Haham in the amount of $190,000. The Department of Court Records is directed to enter these judgments against the defendants,” Hertzberg said.
The following day, July 21, plaintiff counsel filed a writ of execution under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 3252.
The writ directed the Allegheny County Sheriff to satisfy the judgment and costs against Meerhoff, by levying the judgment upon him and selling all of his personal property located at his Mount Lebanon home – and that if Meerhoff’s property was not levied upon and it were to be found in the property of another individual, that said individual would then be named as a garnishee and would be enjoined to the judgment.
For counts of fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, the plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages, attorney’s fees, interest, costs and punitive damages, in excess of the jurisdictional limits for arbitration and any other such relief as this Court may deem proper.
The plaintiff was represented by Leah M. Wilson of Very Law, in Pittsburgh.
The defendants did not secure legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-22-006099
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com