Bob Pressman, an heir to the now-defunct luxury department store Barneys, has filed a lawsuit accusing his late mother and siblings of orchestrating a $20 million tax fraud scheme to evade New York state taxes. The 71-year-old grandson of founder Barney Pressman alleges that his family falsely claimed his mother, Phyllis Pressman, lived in Florida to avoid income and estate taxes.
According to the complaint, Phyllis Pressman actually lived in Southampton, New York, for the last six years of her life, despite dying in Palm Beach, Florida, in April 2024 at age 95. The lawsuit states she “freely told the people around her that she did not like Florida and did not intend to make it her permanent home.”
Bob Pressman was cut out of his mother’s will after refusing to participate in the alleged scheme. He is acting as a whistleblower under the New York False Claims Act, which could entitle him to 25 to 30 percent of any recovered proceeds. The filing claims his relatives could be liable for over $50 million in taxes and penalties.
The lawsuit alleges that Phyllis “successfully recruited” her other children—Gene Pressman, Elizabeth Pressman-Neubardt, and Nancy Pressman-Dressler—to lie about her residency. They reportedly moved her to hospice care in Florida in late 2023 while she was ill and transferred her Southampton home to a limited liability company to increase their inheritance.
Evidence cited includes Phyllis having prescriptions filled at a local Southampton pharmacy, regularly using a landline at the mansion, and employing two aides at the property. The Southampton home, a 2.3-acre beachfront property, is listed for over $34 million, while her Upper East Side apartment is under contract for nearly $4 million.
Nancy Pressman declined to comment when reached by phone. Elizabeth Pressman and Gene Pressman did not respond to requests for comment. The family has a history of legal disputes, including a 1999 case where Bob was ordered to pay his sisters $11.3 million for fraud, which he denied and appealed.
