The Guidice's Bankruptcy Auction Date Set

Article from North Jersey.com.

'N.J. Housewife' to unload possessions in bankruptcy auction
BY VIRGINIA ROHAN
The Record
Teresa Giudice’s custom-built dream mansion in Towaco may soon look even more bare inside than it has sometimes come across on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

Photo:Bravo

Earlier this month, the trustee handling the Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition of Teresa and husband Giuseppe (Joe) Giudice proposed to the court that the furnishings and equipment in the Giudices’ home be sold at an on-site auction, which has been set for Aug. 22. The auction firm hired to conduct that sale, A. J. Willner Auctions in Springfield, already has a preliminary and partial list of items to be sold, along with photos of the items, on its website (ajwillnerauctions.com), which has gotten more than 240,000 page hits since the posting late Friday.

A sampling of the items for sale: a Schaefer and Sons grand piano, a Wolf 48-inch stainless steel range, a 42-inch television, a pair of carved leather and fabric sofas, a Connelly antique-style pool table, chandeliers, even a suit of armor.

Last week, James Kridel, the Giudices’ Clifton-based bankruptcy attorney, said he plans to file an objection. A hearing on the matter would be set for Aug. 16.

In the meantime, though, Harry Byrnes, managing partner of A. J. Willner Auctions, says “the auction is scheduled for the 22nd and we’re moving forward under that date.”

If the court upholds the sale, prospective bidders will be able to walk through the house, at 6 Indian Lane, to preview the items for three hours, starting at 9 a.m. on Aug. 22, Byrnes says. The auction will be conducted under a tent in a large courtyard in the middle of the driveway.

“If it was a smaller crowd, I would consider walking through the house and selling each piece while standing in front of it, but because of the amount of interest, we feel that this is the most conducive way to conduct the auction,” he says.

The auction house, which conducted the highly publicized 2007 sale of the assets from Whitney Houston’s tour, is expecting a large turnout and has come up with a plan to weed out serious buyers from fans of the show who just “want to come see her house.”

“In order to come onto the property, you’ll have to register,” Byrnes says. “Registration requires a name, address and phone number, plus a $300 deposit towards purchases. That gets you into the venue. If you don’t buy anything, obviously you get your $300 back.”

No children will be allowed at the sale. Ditto, food.

Byrnes says there are no reserves in this sale — no minimum pre-set amounts that must be met — but as with all bankruptcy auctions, the trustee reserves the right to confirm or deny the outcome of the sale.
Teresa Giudice’s custom-built dream mansion in Towaco may soon look even more bare inside than it has sometimes come across on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”