New Chapter 11 Filing - Wordsworth Academy

Wordsworth Academy

  • 6/30/17 Recap: Loyal PETITION readers know that we love lending snarky editorial color to chapter 11 filings. But sometimes things go beyond the pale and just aren't funny. This is one of them. This entity is a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation that provides education, behavioral health and welfare services to nearly 5,000 children who have emotional, behavioral and academic challenges. Why did it file? The company claims it needs an operational restructuring but there is a critical overhang here: a resident of one of the facilities died while being restrained. On top of that, there were other "allegations of other serious problems" at the same facility where the death occurred. There is an ongoing wrongful death suit against the company. Litigation appears to have pushed this company into bankruptcy, plain and simple. Tragic, sad, and definitely not amusing.
  • Jurisdiction: E.D. of Pennsylvania
  • Capital Structure: $4.7mm debt (M&T Bank)    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Dilworth Paxson LLP (Lawrence McMichael, Peter Hughes, Anne Aaronson)
    • Financial Advisor: Getzler Henrich & Associates LLC (William H. Henrich)
    • Claims Agent: Donlin Recano & Company Inc. (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • Secured Lender: M&T Bank 
      • Legal: Reed Smith LLP (Peter Clark II, Jennifer Knox)

Updated 7/11/17

New Chapter 11 Filing - Mountain Creek Resort

Mountain Creek Resort

  • 5/15/17 Recap: This gives whole new meaning to the term "ski bums." Owner and operator of four-season resort (including a water park and a ski resort) filed for bankruptcy after suffering through (i) seasons of warm winters, (ii) a downturn in the residential real estate market locally, and (iii) a poor litigation outcome that put the business on the hook for millions. The company has lined up $6mm in DIP financing to fund its case. Meanwhile, folks living in the Township of Vernon, New Jersey, can sh*t bricks (see comments within) and try and figure out what the hell happens now that the $27mm owed to the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority is in danger of not being paid. See, the prior owner of the resort entered into various agreements with the Township for the construction of sewer capacity to support the Resort. The Township issued bonds to finance the costs of construction and the resort is apparently contractually obligated to reimburse the Township for costs associated with the issuance (naturally, the geniuses in the government didn't bother with a security interest (other than a paltry/limited LOC) and, even if they did, they'd probably be SOL anyway given M&T Bank's senior status in the capital structure). 
  • Jurisdiction: D. of New Jersey
  • Capital Structure: $22.7mm senior debt (M&T Bank), $7mm junior debt (HSK-MC LLC) & various promissory notes    
  • Company Professionals:
    • Legal: Lowenstein & Sandler LLP (Kenneth Rosen, Jeffrey Prol, Nicole Fulfree, Michael Papandrea)
    • Financial Advisor: Getzler Henrich & Associates LLC (Mark Samson)
    • Investment Banker: Houlihan Lokey Capital (Jeffrey Altman)
    • Claims Agent: Prime Clerk LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)
  • Other Parties in Interest:
    • M&T Bank
      • Legal: Greenberg Traurig LLP (Diane Vuocolo, Kevin Ray)
    • Township of Vernon
      • Legal: McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP (Eric Perkins, Louis Modugno)
    • Prepetition Lender & DIP Lender: HSK Adventures Inc.
      • Legal: Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP (Rocco Caveliere, Scott Markowitz, Alex Spizz, Arthur Goldstein)
    • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
      • Legal: Trenk DiPasquale Della Fera & Sodono PC (Joseph DiPasquale, Adam Wolper, Robert Roglieri)

Updated 7/12/17