T
he Harounian family, known for their real estate holdings, has been embroiled in a bitter legal battle that has reached new heights of nastiness. Jacob Harounian, the patriarch of the family, has accused his son Mark of looting company assets to pay for mistresses and luxury cars. Mark has denied these allegations, and his lawyers have disputed them.

    The conflict between Jacob and Mark dates back to 2015 when Mark's sister Mehrnaz Nancy Homapour alleged that Mark used the family company as a personal piggy bank, buying Picassos, luxury cars, and vacations. Jacob made similar allegations against Mark in his own suit in 2018, claiming Mark confessed to stealing $3 million in family funds. Mark's lawyers argued that he was entitled to compensation for his efforts to build up the family business.

    The most recent dispute centers around a company called United Hay owned by various Harounian family members. Mark is the managing member of this company, which sued Jacob in 2017, alleging that while Mark was on vacation with his family, Jacob wired $5 million from United Hay to an account in his own name. A New York County judge ruled in favor of United Hay in 2023, with interest increasing the judgment to $8.9 million. United Hay alleges that Jacob has not paid this judgment and is evading court orders.

    In a recent hearing, Jacob sought to represent himself, which raised concerns for the judge due to the gravity of being held in contempt of court. Jacob claimed he was too old to work and could not afford a lawyer. The judge urged the warring relatives to settle their conflict, noting that the family has significant resources.

    Jacob claimed that his son set up a trap for him by asking him to sign a document to avoid paying $20 million in taxes. He stated that he trusted his son and did not know he was being set up. The judge found it hard to believe that Jacob could not afford a lawyer given his resources.

    The family's feud has been likened to those seen in other high-profile real estate disputes, such as those involving the Goldman and Durst families. However, the Harounian family's acrimony has reached new heights, making their situation unique. The family's rags-to-riches story is similar to others in Great Neck's affluent Persian community, where Jacob emigrated from Iran to New York in 1970 and made money in the Persian rug business before moving into real estate in the '80s. By 2014, the Harounian real estate portfolio had about 30 Manhattan rental properties valued at $500 million.

    Jacob's desire for peace within his family was evident during the hearing. He stated, "I want peace in my family." Despite his advanced age, Jacob claimed he could not work anymore and that his wife was the only reason he was still alive. He expressed his love for his wife and his desire for his son to apologize and make amends.