Chattanooga businessman Allen Casey files for personal bankruptcy

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

photo A dilapidated former restaurant barge, purchased by Allen Casey, is docked at his property on the North Shore of the Tennessee River.

Chattanooga businessman Allen Casey today filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

"It's a personal filing," said Chattanooga attorney David Fulton.

The Chapter 7 petition estimated assets of $50,000 or less. Liabilities were estimated at between $1 million and $10 million.

The filing comes on top of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing Monday by a Casey company, River City Resort.

Earlier today, a civil trial involving Casey, who is facing a lawsuit from investors related to downtown riverfront property, was delayed.

Casey didn't show up for the case in Hamilton County Chancery Court and attorneys met with Chancellor W. Frank Brown in his chambers for about 20 minutes.

Gary Patrick, an attorney for the investors, said after the meeting that the issues in the case are expected to be heard at a later date.

At a hearing Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chattanooga, Patrick accused Casey of taking up to $7 million from deals involving the riverfront property for which there is no accounting.

Casey, in court papers, has denied wrongdoing.

The property sits across the Tennessee River from the Tennessee Aquarium. A controversial barge is moored to the site.

See more in Thursday's Times Free Press.