News / Resources

Quotes

5/18/2010

The Daily Record: Amount of Fair Finance Return Still in Limbo

Cleveland partners Brian Bash and Kelly Burgan was quoted in the May 18, 2010, The Daily Record article, "Amount of Fair Finance Return Still in Limbo."

Bash is the court-appointed trustee in the bankruptcy of Fair Finance, a 76-year-old Akron, Ohio, based investment company which ceased doing business after an FBI raid in November 2009 with over $200 million owed on investment certificates. Burgan is legal counsel for Bash in the matter. The focus of the article is a recent meeting of Fair Finance's investors, regarding the state of their investments and the bankruptcy proceedings.

According to Bash, the focus is trying to recover assets, not pursuing a criminal investigation. He said they are looking at recovering real estate, cars, artwork and third-party loans involving Fair Finance co-owners Tim Durham and James Cochran. Responding to an attendee's inquiry as to how long recovery could take, Bash said it could be a few years. He said recovering assets like art or cars or a home take time because, ultimately, a buyer needs to be found.

Bash said Durham has been a "very busy camper," loaning money to at least 10 companies. Burgan added that some of those companies were insolvent upon receiving the loan.