A lawyer is not allowed to advertise falsified information when attempting to sell an apartment and place full responsibility for verifying details on the purchaser, according to a decision from the Shalom Court in Tel-Aviv. Judge Ya’el Achiman ruled against lawyer Moshe Lavern ordering him to return a deposit of 75,000 shekels, pay 10,000 shekels for personal damages and 30,000 in fees and lost time for posting a falsified newspaper ad on behalf of a home seller.

Lavern’s ad detailed a four room apartment for sale in central Tel-Aviv “as is” and said that detail-checking was the responsibility of potential buyers. The buyers in the case claimed that the apartment was falsely listed and actually had three and a half rooms. The judge’s decision established that the buyers rightfully relied on the facts presented in the ad. “An ‘as is’ sale that places responsibility for verifying details with the buyer does not include details mentioned in the ad itself,” said Achiman.