Richmond Hill Inn
Encyclopedia
The Richmond Hill Inn is a 25 room Inn located on the Historic Richmond Hill estate in North Carolina. It had a Queen Anne
style mansion that was built in 1889 and has now been gutted by the arson fire. It served as the private residence of ambassador
and congressman Richmond Pearson
. Its name derives from a combination of its builder, Richmond Pearson, and the designer, James G. Hill. At the time of its construction, the mansion was one of the most elegant structures in Asheville, with running water, ten fireplaces, and a pulley-operated baggage elevator. It served as a center for social and political activity for many years during Pearson's life. The Estate is located on French Broad River, surrounded by rolling grounds with gardens.
Two other additions have been made since the initial reopening, both designed by architect Jim Samsel. A manicured croquet
court with 8 cottages overlooking the greens were built in 1990. A new building called The Garden Pavilion was added in 1996, containing 16 guest rooms and overlooking a Victorian
Parterre
-style garden
.
Within days of the blaze, officials with the Asheville Fire Department, confirmed the discovery of what they considered to be evidence indicating that the fire had been intentionally set.http://www.mountainx.com/news/2009/asheville_fire_department_richmond_hill_blaze_was_arson Further suspicions were aroused due to an ongoing legal battle which had led the Buncombe County Clerk of Court ordering that the inn be sold in a foreclosure auction on the Buncombe county court house steps.http://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_foreclosure_petition1.pdfhttp://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_foreclosure_sale1.pdfhttp://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_foreclosure_notice1.pdf This foreclose notice was entered into three days before the 2009 fire. The owners at the time of the fire had failed to make mortgage payments on the property since August 2008. This failure to make payments led the previous owners, who had financed the purchase, to seek foreclosure. One day before the 2008 foreclose hearing Richmond Hill Inn (Hammock LLC) managing partner William G Gray and his half sister, The Hammocks LLC/Lake Norman pavilion LLC majority partner Virginia C Love (of the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC) http://www.bakerdonelson.com/Bio.aspx?NodeID=32&PersonID=1713 filed suit against the former owners and mortgage holders for alleged faulty pipes on the property.http://www.mountainx.com/xpressfiles/richmond_hill_inn_foreclosure_fire_inspection_tax_recordshttp://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_civil_lawsuit1.pdf
In addition, the Buncombe county tax assessor was seeking over $64,000 in property taxes from 2008 http://www.mountainx.com/files/Richmond_Hill_Properties.pdf
The next transcript deals with testimony in regards to William Gray losing his license to practice medicine over charges of sexual misconduct with his under age male patients http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MWQ2YmE2ODQ2ZWJkMDk0NA see medical board documents below.
The bankruptcy court for the eastern district of North Carolina has granted a motion for the state law suit in regards to the alleged faulty pipes at the Richmond Hill Inn to proceed in state court.
At present, the investigation into the fire is ongoing with a sole person of interest in the case but no arrests have been made.
quote
"9. The Policy excludes recovery for loss where the loss is caused by criminal, fraudulent, dishonest, or illegal acts committed by the insured or those with an interest in the property.
Document Page 2 of 9.
11. As alleged in greater detail in the Complaint, Harleysville believes, and expects to be able to prove at trial, that under these exclusions it has complete defenses to the Demand, including that (a) the fire was caused by the Debtor’s arson and (b) that in applying for the Policy the Debtor made material misrepresentations.
Document page 3 of 9 "
end quote. http://8770586835587564609-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/richmondhillinn/file-cabinet/BillandGinnycommitarson-gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275.68.0.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7cqaRQr52rV9xdYuFEB3YpcStRCVbHUjwVI_e1qCFMA637j0TbXiujcJg83pGe5UmQYoH18-1yk6pTZm7DN1FkFKhA0JH81SrVzW940HSF2_A5VTMJoYfUnbno7xPgKIUZqizKYvdgeKlUS7isti2BFqGzYfyNLQxYdDsU_t2ByLjoBfKUehEMlZD-byaqIa-YhAmYJ7u6OuNqaeBPhsinXSEZY5jYPjeEVEzj9C3hAJ4z-3-W_PgFKw-5ZNOAV7e_YGs-Vf8vZTbQqgV-CAPl7A9yOzzg%3D%3D&attredirects=0]
TheHarleysville Mutual Insurance Company filed a petition in the bankruptcy court for the eastern district of North Carolina to remove the civil arson case from bankruptcy court to federal district court and to request a trail by jury.This has been so ordered by the court
The Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company deposed( questioned) William Gilman Gray under oath on June 10 and 11 2009.The questions and answers where wide ranging as follows,William Gray did not take a lie detector test at the request of the Ashville fire department so the identity of the one person who did is still a mystery http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MzdjNzQyN2UxYjM3MTU3.Under questioning William Gray testified to a letter his sister Virginia C love,The Hammocks LLC/Lake Norman pavilion LLC majority partner(of the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC) http://www.bakerdonelson.com/Bio.aspx?NodeID=32&PersonID=1713 sent to a Jim Sloggart demanding money for failure to perform as a partner in The hammocks LLC http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MjMwZTY3NzI1ZDgyNDlhMQ William Gray was asked to speculate as to whom may have burned down the Richmond Hill Inn he stated that he could not imagine the following people would have "done it themselves" but may have had motive to do so, Jim Sloggart,Mrs Micheal(the note holder)and Bland Holland a fired former Richmond Hill Inn manager.At some point before the arson the night watchmen had been laid off http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MjA0ZTFkMDBmZTQ1ZTMzMQ The next transcript discuses Virginia c love's law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC doing the accounting and tax returns for the Richmond hill Inn.this transcript also has William Gray stating that at a employee meeting held several days after the arson the entire staff of the kitchen and dining room resigned in mass.William gray testified that he provided copy's of an audit to all owners of the Hammocks LLC except his other sister Mary Mullins.William Gray testified that he new at the time of the purchase of the Richmond hill inn that it was a financial failure http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NWE5OWRiMjE5NjYxOGQ0Mg The fourth transcript discusses the sell of the Richmond hill Inn.Rockey Lapomardo from Florida is a friend of Virginia C love and has tried to sell the property so far with out success.The Lapomardo firm still has images of the property for sell from before the arson http://tours.prorealtypix.com/public/vtour/display/2598?a= http://8770586835587564609-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/richmondhillinn/file-cabinet/gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275.68.16.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7crUgLwaf48j4EHR2S3IuWBUzw3u344eZF3REMg5eTIG86cvKqk-BB0ld_4npWQI0TdVZ5-RMspI5auOh2pTvnCKpqJ-kXefgAJ-UENctsetOfwVHlnWXS09YGZJT_FscTvW4y4ur6G6ydDDQzOX_SJ6PMBTg-fyoec2K9zaKn6j8kIxWLrUpP1x6rFld80d2v6FSF64V9vsujPqbCVfJqPoII3AUY2L-xlFYf0irwFsYaOSGyuO5IOrWh2C8B5tCUyusnUA&attredirects=0] http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MzNmMmJlY2U5ZDg1ZmNiZg the sixth transcript contains testimony from William Gray as to a call from Jim Sloggart right after the arson quote, "well, you know they are going to blame us for doing it' And I said, probably." http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NjU2NGVhYjMxMmFjNGU3OA The next transcript contains testimony in regards to allegations that William Gray lost his license to practice medicine do to sexual misconduct with his under age male patients. William Gray gives testimony in regards to 1977 California Medical Board allegations of sexual misconduct with male patients(the first California case)http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MWQ2YmE2ODQ2ZWJkMDk0NA The bankruptcy court for the western district of North Carolina has granted a motion for the state law suit in regards to the alleged faulty pipes at the Richmond Hill Inn to proceed in state court.Further testimony was given in regards to whether William Gray told employees he was bipolar William Gray denied he made any such statement.Testimony on page 76 http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MmU2NGZjOWQ5ZDZkYmY4MA In a recently filed document in the Federal District Court for western North Carolina the The Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company makes the statement that it believes that the arson was set by The Hammocks LLC's "Authorized agents"http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NjZlNTUyYmExNzJhZDYyNA
On January 20 in bankruptcy court for the western region of North Carolina there is a hearing scheduled to argue whether to convert the Richmond Hill Inn from a Chapter 11 to a chapter 7 liquidation , to decide whether to accept "the plan" submitted by the debtor, to appoint the US trustee for the estate and to examine the Hammocks LLC financial discloser statements.The US trustee an employee of the court has objected to the financial discloser statement, "the plan" and has asked the judge to convert the case to a liquidation bankruptcty.http://www.ncwb.uscourts.gov/calendar/monthly.html The US trustees motion to convert the case to a chapter 7 and/or appoint a chapter 11 trustee was denied in a hearing 20 January 2010 http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NTcxMTFjNTNhOGI0MmM3Yw Thus The Hammocks LLC doing business as the Richmond Hill Inn shall remain as debtor in possession in till such time as there is a discharge from bankruptcy court.
It appears that the managing partners plan to shut down the Richmond Hill Inn soon under a chapter 11 "liquidation plan" and sell the real estate to satisfy the mortgage owed http://8770586835587564609-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/richmondhillinn/file-cabinet/ncwb-3060merged.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7crIshjsy3ec3dTGyYk-7NMM1FTPK4FU8pe83svnWMcjIY23N96C-KOO9uvChM6O8nrhYOk7522lJEEAobsrbmywPFZH7A8LGWLmk4gaAZ5nXzsWXzVFUAB_075odRXjLk8dtQfoV3uuGg_08VZFZolcYBmugB0pk8Tq-mdTzevoUWGfDgYnjSX9-1BV8TqntEUGl0IzMCKc7WpHFVyA_V-bfRwiq_Yr-oa3dp2qJYgAwVZxlko%3D&attredirects=0]
The bankruptcy court for the western district of North Carolina has objected to this plan as it is not transparent.It does not disclose partner compensation.It does not disclose timing of this "liquidation"http://ia341327.us.archive.org/2/items/gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275/gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275.105.0.pdf
It is noted it does not appear that employees or future guests have been notified of this plan.The Richmond hill Inn has closed for the winter but appears to be still taking reservations for April 2010.It is not known if Richmond hill inn is collecting deposits on wedding reservations.As of late February 2010 the Richmond Hill Inn website is reporting that it will not reopen in April 2010, due to arson by former employees.
There appear to be federal government documents that support the controversy in regards to William G Gray losing his DEA license to proscribe controlled substances for “his prescribing or dispensing various controlled substances to several individuals, two of whom were minors, without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the scope of professional practice”
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1994-02-10/html/94-3031.htm
and there appear to be state of California,North Carolina and state of Virginia documents in regards to alleged criminal behavior in regards to minors http://licenselookup.mbc.ca.gov/licenselookup/lookup.php?LicenseType=C&LicenseNumber=30499http://wwwapps.ncmedboard.org/Clients/NCBOM/Public/Licensee_Details.aspx?&EntityID=47796&PublicFile=1 And a Revocation of license to practice for a "mental abnormality" in regards to behavior towards his male minor patients http://www.citizen-times.com/assets/pdf/B0131561327.PDF
It is a public policy question to note that William Gilmans Grays 1977 surrender of his California license to practice medicine still does not appear on the California's medical board website.
The ownership management team at the Richmond Hill Inn did release a statement prepared by the public relations firm of Dan Kellerby Media of Nashville, TN. It tells of the hardships in the hotel industry in the last years of the economic crises and alleged forced cut backs on staff and the ownership structure's family and emotional attachment to the community.
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2009/richmond_hill_inn_owner_issues_statement_through_spokesman http://www.wyff4.com/download/2009/0324/19004286.pdf
This is an example of a case study of multi media tourism marketing before the fire http://www.bclip.com/site/storage/cs_richmondhillinn.pdf
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
style mansion that was built in 1889 and has now been gutted by the arson fire. It served as the private residence of ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
and congressman Richmond Pearson
Richmond Pearson
Richmond Pearson was an American diplomat and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina.-Biography:He was born in Yadkin County, North Carolina, the fourth of five children of North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Richmond Mumford Pearson.Pearson studied law and was admitted...
. Its name derives from a combination of its builder, Richmond Pearson, and the designer, James G. Hill. At the time of its construction, the mansion was one of the most elegant structures in Asheville, with running water, ten fireplaces, and a pulley-operated baggage elevator. It served as a center for social and political activity for many years during Pearson's life. The Estate is located on French Broad River, surrounded by rolling grounds with gardens.
Relocation and Renovation
In 1984, the Pearson heirs sold the Richmond Hill estate. The Preservation Society saved the mansion from demolition and had it moved 600 feet. The mansion underwent a $3 million restoration before being opened as part of an Inn in 1989. The second and third floors housed 12 guest rooms, while the first floor contained a restaurant called Gabrielle's, a grand Oak Hall, library, and front parlor.Two other additions have been made since the initial reopening, both designed by architect Jim Samsel. A manicured croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
court with 8 cottages overlooking the greens were built in 1990. A new building called The Garden Pavilion was added in 1996, containing 16 guest rooms and overlooking a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Parterre
Parterre
A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
-style garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
.
2009 Fire
On March 19, 2009, a fire destroyed the 120 year old historic mansion. Due to the size of the fire, an arson investigation began immediately.Within days of the blaze, officials with the Asheville Fire Department, confirmed the discovery of what they considered to be evidence indicating that the fire had been intentionally set.http://www.mountainx.com/news/2009/asheville_fire_department_richmond_hill_blaze_was_arson Further suspicions were aroused due to an ongoing legal battle which had led the Buncombe County Clerk of Court ordering that the inn be sold in a foreclosure auction on the Buncombe county court house steps.http://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_foreclosure_petition1.pdfhttp://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_foreclosure_sale1.pdfhttp://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_foreclosure_notice1.pdf This foreclose notice was entered into three days before the 2009 fire. The owners at the time of the fire had failed to make mortgage payments on the property since August 2008. This failure to make payments led the previous owners, who had financed the purchase, to seek foreclosure. One day before the 2008 foreclose hearing Richmond Hill Inn (Hammock LLC) managing partner William G Gray and his half sister, The Hammocks LLC/Lake Norman pavilion LLC majority partner Virginia C Love (of the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC) http://www.bakerdonelson.com/Bio.aspx?NodeID=32&PersonID=1713 filed suit against the former owners and mortgage holders for alleged faulty pipes on the property.http://www.mountainx.com/xpressfiles/richmond_hill_inn_foreclosure_fire_inspection_tax_recordshttp://www.mountainx.com/files/richmond_hill_civil_lawsuit1.pdf
In addition, the Buncombe county tax assessor was seeking over $64,000 in property taxes from 2008 http://www.mountainx.com/files/Richmond_Hill_Properties.pdf
The next transcript deals with testimony in regards to William Gray losing his license to practice medicine over charges of sexual misconduct with his under age male patients http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MWQ2YmE2ODQ2ZWJkMDk0NA see medical board documents below.
The bankruptcy court for the eastern district of North Carolina has granted a motion for the state law suit in regards to the alleged faulty pipes at the Richmond Hill Inn to proceed in state court.
At present, the investigation into the fire is ongoing with a sole person of interest in the case but no arrests have been made.
Bankruptcy court case,documents and transcripts
The Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company has filed a pleading in bankruptcy court for the eastern district of North Carolina denying liability for the insurance claim for the arson and for the following reasons,quote
"9. The Policy excludes recovery for loss where the loss is caused by criminal, fraudulent, dishonest, or illegal acts committed by the insured or those with an interest in the property.
Document Page 2 of 9.
11. As alleged in greater detail in the Complaint, Harleysville believes, and expects to be able to prove at trial, that under these exclusions it has complete defenses to the Demand, including that (a) the fire was caused by the Debtor’s arson and (b) that in applying for the Policy the Debtor made material misrepresentations.
Document page 3 of 9 "
end quote. http://8770586835587564609-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/richmondhillinn/file-cabinet/BillandGinnycommitarson-gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275.68.0.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7cqaRQr52rV9xdYuFEB3YpcStRCVbHUjwVI_e1qCFMA637j0TbXiujcJg83pGe5UmQYoH18-1yk6pTZm7DN1FkFKhA0JH81SrVzW940HSF2_A5VTMJoYfUnbno7xPgKIUZqizKYvdgeKlUS7isti2BFqGzYfyNLQxYdDsU_t2ByLjoBfKUehEMlZD-byaqIa-YhAmYJ7u6OuNqaeBPhsinXSEZY5jYPjeEVEzj9C3hAJ4z-3-W_PgFKw-5ZNOAV7e_YGs-Vf8vZTbQqgV-CAPl7A9yOzzg%3D%3D&attredirects=0]
TheHarleysville Mutual Insurance Company filed a petition in the bankruptcy court for the eastern district of North Carolina to remove the civil arson case from bankruptcy court to federal district court and to request a trail by jury.This has been so ordered by the court
The Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company deposed( questioned) William Gilman Gray under oath on June 10 and 11 2009.The questions and answers where wide ranging as follows,William Gray did not take a lie detector test at the request of the Ashville fire department so the identity of the one person who did is still a mystery http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MzdjNzQyN2UxYjM3MTU3.Under questioning William Gray testified to a letter his sister Virginia C love,The Hammocks LLC/Lake Norman pavilion LLC majority partner(of the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC) http://www.bakerdonelson.com/Bio.aspx?NodeID=32&PersonID=1713 sent to a Jim Sloggart demanding money for failure to perform as a partner in The hammocks LLC http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MjMwZTY3NzI1ZDgyNDlhMQ William Gray was asked to speculate as to whom may have burned down the Richmond Hill Inn he stated that he could not imagine the following people would have "done it themselves" but may have had motive to do so, Jim Sloggart,Mrs Micheal(the note holder)and Bland Holland a fired former Richmond Hill Inn manager.At some point before the arson the night watchmen had been laid off http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MjA0ZTFkMDBmZTQ1ZTMzMQ The next transcript discuses Virginia c love's law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC doing the accounting and tax returns for the Richmond hill Inn.this transcript also has William Gray stating that at a employee meeting held several days after the arson the entire staff of the kitchen and dining room resigned in mass.William gray testified that he provided copy's of an audit to all owners of the Hammocks LLC except his other sister Mary Mullins.William Gray testified that he new at the time of the purchase of the Richmond hill inn that it was a financial failure http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NWE5OWRiMjE5NjYxOGQ0Mg The fourth transcript discusses the sell of the Richmond hill Inn.Rockey Lapomardo from Florida is a friend of Virginia C love and has tried to sell the property so far with out success.The Lapomardo firm still has images of the property for sell from before the arson http://tours.prorealtypix.com/public/vtour/display/2598?a= http://8770586835587564609-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/richmondhillinn/file-cabinet/gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275.68.16.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7crUgLwaf48j4EHR2S3IuWBUzw3u344eZF3REMg5eTIG86cvKqk-BB0ld_4npWQI0TdVZ5-RMspI5auOh2pTvnCKpqJ-kXefgAJ-UENctsetOfwVHlnWXS09YGZJT_FscTvW4y4ur6G6ydDDQzOX_SJ6PMBTg-fyoec2K9zaKn6j8kIxWLrUpP1x6rFld80d2v6FSF64V9vsujPqbCVfJqPoII3AUY2L-xlFYf0irwFsYaOSGyuO5IOrWh2C8B5tCUyusnUA&attredirects=0] http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MzNmMmJlY2U5ZDg1ZmNiZg the sixth transcript contains testimony from William Gray as to a call from Jim Sloggart right after the arson quote, "well, you know they are going to blame us for doing it' And I said, probably." http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NjU2NGVhYjMxMmFjNGU3OA The next transcript contains testimony in regards to allegations that William Gray lost his license to practice medicine do to sexual misconduct with his under age male patients. William Gray gives testimony in regards to 1977 California Medical Board allegations of sexual misconduct with male patients(the first California case)http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MWQ2YmE2ODQ2ZWJkMDk0NA The bankruptcy court for the western district of North Carolina has granted a motion for the state law suit in regards to the alleged faulty pipes at the Richmond Hill Inn to proceed in state court.Further testimony was given in regards to whether William Gray told employees he was bipolar William Gray denied he made any such statement.Testimony on page 76 http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6MmU2NGZjOWQ5ZDZkYmY4MA In a recently filed document in the Federal District Court for western North Carolina the The Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company makes the statement that it believes that the arson was set by The Hammocks LLC's "Authorized agents"http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NjZlNTUyYmExNzJhZDYyNA
On January 20 in bankruptcy court for the western region of North Carolina there is a hearing scheduled to argue whether to convert the Richmond Hill Inn from a Chapter 11 to a chapter 7 liquidation , to decide whether to accept "the plan" submitted by the debtor, to appoint the US trustee for the estate and to examine the Hammocks LLC financial discloser statements.The US trustee an employee of the court has objected to the financial discloser statement, "the plan" and has asked the judge to convert the case to a liquidation bankruptcty.http://www.ncwb.uscourts.gov/calendar/monthly.html The US trustees motion to convert the case to a chapter 7 and/or appoint a chapter 11 trustee was denied in a hearing 20 January 2010 http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyaWNobW9uZGhpbGxpbm58Z3g6NTcxMTFjNTNhOGI0MmM3Yw Thus The Hammocks LLC doing business as the Richmond Hill Inn shall remain as debtor in possession in till such time as there is a discharge from bankruptcy court.
It appears that the managing partners plan to shut down the Richmond Hill Inn soon under a chapter 11 "liquidation plan" and sell the real estate to satisfy the mortgage owed http://8770586835587564609-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/richmondhillinn/file-cabinet/ncwb-3060merged.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7crIshjsy3ec3dTGyYk-7NMM1FTPK4FU8pe83svnWMcjIY23N96C-KOO9uvChM6O8nrhYOk7522lJEEAobsrbmywPFZH7A8LGWLmk4gaAZ5nXzsWXzVFUAB_075odRXjLk8dtQfoV3uuGg_08VZFZolcYBmugB0pk8Tq-mdTzevoUWGfDgYnjSX9-1BV8TqntEUGl0IzMCKc7WpHFVyA_V-bfRwiq_Yr-oa3dp2qJYgAwVZxlko%3D&attredirects=0]
The bankruptcy court for the western district of North Carolina has objected to this plan as it is not transparent.It does not disclose partner compensation.It does not disclose timing of this "liquidation"http://ia341327.us.archive.org/2/items/gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275/gov.uscourts.ncwb.142275.105.0.pdf
It is noted it does not appear that employees or future guests have been notified of this plan.The Richmond hill Inn has closed for the winter but appears to be still taking reservations for April 2010.It is not known if Richmond hill inn is collecting deposits on wedding reservations.As of late February 2010 the Richmond Hill Inn website is reporting that it will not reopen in April 2010, due to arson by former employees.
Controversy over media coverage of William Gilman Gray managing partner of Hammock LLC d/b/a Richmond Hill Inn
Local paper Asheville Citizen-Times ran an article on Richmond Hill Inn managing partner William G Gray on his past criminal arrest record for allegedly molesting boys in several states over the last three decades and surrendering his license to practice medicine in lieu of a hearing or after a hearing in many states over the last three decades. This article generated intense controversy in the community as to its content.http://www.topix.com/forum/cn/beijing/TFPU7IVN4G5B6SGQOhttp://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpagehttp://ashvegas.squarespace.com/journal/2009/3/27/citizen-times-copyrights-richmond-hill-sleaze-story-but-why.htmlhttp://www.citizen-times.com/assets/pdf/B0131561327.PDFhttp://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/05/gibson-kilgore-debate/There appear to be federal government documents that support the controversy in regards to William G Gray losing his DEA license to proscribe controlled substances for “his prescribing or dispensing various controlled substances to several individuals, two of whom were minors, without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the scope of professional practice”
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1994-02-10/html/94-3031.htm
and there appear to be state of California,North Carolina and state of Virginia documents in regards to alleged criminal behavior in regards to minors http://licenselookup.mbc.ca.gov/licenselookup/lookup.php?LicenseType=C&LicenseNumber=30499http://wwwapps.ncmedboard.org/Clients/NCBOM/Public/Licensee_Details.aspx?&EntityID=47796&PublicFile=1 And a Revocation of license to practice for a "mental abnormality" in regards to behavior towards his male minor patients http://www.citizen-times.com/assets/pdf/B0131561327.PDF
It is a public policy question to note that William Gilmans Grays 1977 surrender of his California license to practice medicine still does not appear on the California's medical board website.
The ownership management team at the Richmond Hill Inn did release a statement prepared by the public relations firm of Dan Kellerby Media of Nashville, TN. It tells of the hardships in the hotel industry in the last years of the economic crises and alleged forced cut backs on staff and the ownership structure's family and emotional attachment to the community.
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2009/richmond_hill_inn_owner_issues_statement_through_spokesman http://www.wyff4.com/download/2009/0324/19004286.pdf
This is an example of a case study of multi media tourism marketing before the fire http://www.bclip.com/site/storage/cs_richmondhillinn.pdf