Family Loses Another Round Employees Relieved That Schweitzer Remains Controlled By Trustee

Family members wrangling for control of Schweitzer Mountain Resort were rebuffed a second time in court Wednesday.

Federal bankruptcy Judge Alfred C. Hagan ruled to keep Schweitzer Mountain Resort management under court-appointed receiver Ford Elsaesser.

“We can go ahead and operate the mountain on a consistent basis and it also appears we can proceed with the sale,” Elsaesser said Wednesday.

The decision relieved Schweitzer employees, who will continue operating as normal with strong skier counts and light precipitation expected throughout the week.

It is the third time courts have refused to remove Elsaesser as trustee of Schweitzer.

Harbor Properties of Seattle offered $18 million for the resort last summer. Two of the five Brown family members - Bobbie Huguenin and her mother Jean Brown - originally agreed to the deal, but later changed their minds saying it wasn’t enough money. Huguenin was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

The two began bankruptcy proceedings last fall and had hoped to bring the resort back under their control while they reorganized to begin paying back $21 million in debts. In protest, Harbor Properties pulled its earnest money in September. Company officials in Seattle said Wednesday they will move forward with the purchase as soon as it’s clear no one will appeal or object to the sale.

“We thought it was a favorable outcome and we will be continue to be patient in waiting for someone to offer a sale to us,” said Ron Cook, chief financial officer of Harbor Properties.

The ruling clears the path for Elsaesser to pursue three separate appraisals to gauge if the ski area is being sold for a fair price. The appraisals are needed before a judge will allow a sale to go forward.

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