Giovanni Feroce, who is running for governor of Rhode Island and found himself on the wrong side of a civil arrest warrant last week for failing to appear before a judge to answer questions about why he had not made any payments on a default judgment has fixed that problem, but is now facing another judgment.
There was no indication how much of a payment was made on the $8,000 judgment, and Feroce has refused to answer questions about the debt, calling it a misunderstanding.
But the landlord for a former store leased by Feroce has filed paperwork seeking a default judgment of $88,000. The $88,000 represents money allegedly owed by Feroce related to the unpaid lease, according to a published report.
Feroce has a number of businesses which are also in financial trouble, according to the report. He is being sued by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, as well as former employees and vendors for non-payment of debts.
A law professor quoted in the report noted that many people fail to show up for hearings, which is how default judgments are ultimately awarded.
“People in financial trouble ignore a lot of things and don’t show up to defend themselves,” said Professor Bruce I. Kogan from Roger Williams University.
