Husband wins divorce fight over £20m car collection
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Version 0 of 1. A solicitor representing a man who won a high court battle with his estranged wife over the ownership of a £20m classic car collection has praised the judge’s ruling. Sofia Moussaoui, who represented Clive Joy-Morancho, said she was “extremely pleased” judge Sir Peter Singer decided he did not have to transfer part of the collection of about 35 cars to his wife, Nicola Joy. Joy, 48, who had been married to Joy-Morancho for five years, claimed the 58-year-old owned the vehicles and could be given to her as part of a divorce settlement. Joy-Morancho argued the cars were owned by a company with which he had links. Singer dismissed Joy’s claim following a hearing in the family division of the high court in London. And Joy-Moranchi’s lawyer, Moussaoui, said on Wednesday: “I am extremely pleased with the main thrust of the judgment, which demonstrates that it is possible to refute what now seems to have become the presumption in high-net-worth family cases: that a husband who claims that certain assets do not belong to him and are not available to him and the court for division must be making a false presentation.” The couple had lived on the Caribbean island of Bequia and in a chateau in the south of France when they married, the court heard. Joy had started divorce proceedings after making domestic violence allegations, said the judge. Singer said most of the couple’s wealth derived from Joy-Morancho’s business activities. The judge added that there was extreme disagreement over how much Joy should get as a result of the marriage breakdown. Joy argued that the couple had a joint fortune of £54m and wanted a lump sum of £27m. Joy-Morancho said he was facing financial ruin and argued that Joy should get “nominal” maintenance only. The judge said he would have to decide whether Joy-Morancho’s claims were “genuine or a contrived facade”. He indicated that he would rule on Joy’s cash claims at a later date. |