Bankruptcy Could Help
Service To Pay Bills
By Sherry Matthews
The Hoke County Ambulance
Service has tiled a "reorganiza
rional" bankruptcy that will ap
patently help cover some of theii
long-standing debts.
The bankruptcy was filed with
the Eastern District Federal
Bankruptcy Court August 3 under
a Chapter 11 designation.
"They filed under the chapter 1 i
designation, which gives them time
to re-organize their debts and
hopefully get back on their feet," a
bankruptcy clerk explained
According to the clerk, the am
bulance service will be able to re
tain control ot their finances once
their debts have been paid off oi
payments have been extended.
"We w ill help them to initiate a
re-payment plan," the cleik said.
County Manage! James Martin
said thai he expected the re
organization to begin within the
next three or four months
"It is possible that a re payment
plan will be filed wiih the
bankruptcy court as soon as
September or October," Martin
said.
The county manager also in
dicated that ambulance service
owner lim Henley would continue
to operate the business until his
contract expires December 31.
Indications have been that
Henley will "complete his con
tract," Martin said
Martin also said that county
residents needing ambulance ser
vice would not sutler due to the
bankruptcy petition
It he continues io provide the
ambulance seivicc, Henley will
receive almost $44,000 trum the
county duiing the nevt five
months Martin said.
"I don't think the set vice will
sutler because ot the bankruptcy.
Martin added
County Commission Chairman
John Balfour also teels thai
residents *ill continue io eet good
service trom Henley.
"I believe ihat Jim is tolallv
dedicated to pioviding quality sei
vice to ihe people of this county,
and I don't think that will
changc " Balfoui said.
Baltuur also indicated ihat he
hoped HenU> would be able to get
hi* debt-. ' jndei control."
*'l mink he intends to >ce his
contract through, and I certainly
hope he will be able to." Balfour
added
Henley, who contacted by
The \ews-Jouitiui t-iiday, refused
to comment
1 van i aJ*i/ifiiiig about this
mattet now. Henlcv 'aid
In lune Hoke County court
recoi d-> indicated ihat Henley, do
ing basine's '??? the ambulance ser
vice, oweu more than S4.700 to
area businesses.
According to the records, these
bills have been mounting since
mid-March, over a month atiei the
county commissioners approved
an inciease in the ambulance ser
vice sub-,idy.
"I personally do not feel that the
board would have given him an in
creased >ub.idv n they had known
he vso.ilu file bankruptcy so
M?on Bali. -in aid.
According to Balfour, the board
was aware that Henley was con
sidering tiling bankruptcy.
"We recently found out that he
wav considering tiling bankruptcy,
but we thought it would be
sometime in November before he
actually followed through with his
plans," Balfour said.
in February, the county com
missioners bailed Henley out of his
financial woes by approving a new
contract that allocated a $40,883
increase over last year's taxpayei
subsidy and gave the ambulance
service $105,436 to cover their
mounting expenses.
A month after the increased sub
sidy was approved. Henley inform
ed the commissioners that he did
not intend to renew his contract
with the county once it expired
December 31.
Since March, the ambulance ser
vice has accumulated at least seven
judgements against them totaling
$4, "751 .36.
In an earlier interview Henly ad
mitted that he was in a "financial
bind."
"I am hoping that by the time
our contract expires we will have
paid off everyone we owe,
Henley said during that interview
Although Henley apparently
"wants" to pay back his debts, at
least one local businessman
doesn't hold much faith in his
word.
"He owes me $1,000, and no et
fort has been made to pay back the
debt," J.R. Kennedy, owner ot
The Decor Center, said.
Kennedy is one of the seven area
merchants who ha\e obtained
judgements against Henley and the
ambulance service
"He bought floor covering from
me in March 1982 and has only
paid $100 of the monev he owes
me," Kennedy said.
According to Kennedy, the am
bulance service owner agreed to
pay $100 a month until the bill was
"paid oft
? He made one payment, ana
that was it," Kennedy said.
Henley had apparently purchas
ed floor covering from the Decor
(enter for use in the rented
building that houses the am
bulance service, Kennedy said.
Although Henley ordered the
tlooi coveiing in March 1982, Kcn
nedv waited nearl> a year to take
out a judgement against the am
bulance service
"1 gave him every chance.
Kennedy said. *
??Heniey told me in February
that he was going to ask for an in
crease. and if he got it. he would be
able to pay me." Kennedy said.
"He got his raise but I still got
nothing." Kennedv added.
Attc-r giving Henley a "last
chance" Kennedv tiled a judge
ment against him.
Since that judgement has been
filed, there has been no explana
tion i.o contact and no payment,
Kennedy said.
Kennedy also said that he and
other local businesses had received
letters from the bankruptcy court
about Henley's petition.
1 ne letter apparently indicated
that Henley's debts would be paid.
"These letters always say that
we will get oui money back, but I
will have to wait and see. Ken
nedy said.
With the petition for re
organizational bankruptcy filed
and a plan for re payment under
veav, the ambulance service will ap
parently be able to trim their debts.
"My hope is that he will get his
bills paid and continue to run the
ambulance service until his con
tract expires," Balfour said.
. . . Man Jailed For Assault
(Continued from page 1A)
ticers and "jerked away" when the
two attempted to arrest him.
Raefurd police officer F rances
Patterson, who assisted in the
Iracas, was also assaulted by
LeGrande, according to District
Court records.
The incident was turned over to
the State Bureau of Investigation
(SB1), and a probe into the matter
was conducted.
SBI agent in charge of the probe
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Frank Johnson could not be reach
ed for comment, but Raeford
Police Chief Leonard Wiggins said
he believe the investigation was
concluded without any findings of
wrong doing.
The
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