Following up on a story we published Dec. 2, 2011 concerning state felony theft charges against Jo Leigh Ares for allegedly receiving deposits on manufactured homes that were not delivered, MHProNews has learned her Park Girl Sales LLC has filed for bankruptcy. The petition, filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas Dec. 30, 2011, lists 70 creditors, liabilities of $3,177,300, and no assets. Of the creditors on the list, only three are among the 43 residents who were part of a lawsuit filed last year in state court against her, Park Girl Sales, and Park Girl Mobile Home Sales of La Feria, Texas. According to BrownsvilleHerald, the bankruptcy petition stays most collection actions against her and her property, including phone calls and other attempts to collect debt. Joe Garcia, executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Manufactured Housing Division, says the bankruptcy filing does not prevent the state from investigating complaints against Ares or her businesses. At the time of the Dec. 2 story, Cameron County Judge Adam Gonzales ordered her held on $1.2 million bond. At the time of this writing, it could not be determined if she is still in jail.
