Jimmy's Travel
clients must go
through bank

By Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin

Customers of defunct Jimmy's Travel Inc. must now file their claims for refunds at Hawaii National Bank as well as with the bankruptcy court.

Attorney Harrison P. Chung, who is handling the company's bankruptcy, said that is the only way to get any money back to the customers who paid for Las Vegas trips and didn't get them.

In January, the bank issued a letter of credit for $200,000 as a deposit that the company was required to make with the U.S. Department of Transportation to cover possible refunds if it couldn't provide contracted travel.

The bank is holding the money to back it up and that makes up most of the $225,000 in assets the company had when it filed for bankruptcy June 27.

Chung said the bank won't release money unless it has the claims information itself.

Jimmy's, founded in January by James K.S. Lee, had received payment for about 2,500 Las Vegas tours when it ran out of money and closed its doors in June.

Customers also must file their claims in bankruptcy court, along with receipts and other proof of what they are owed. The Jimmy's Travel bankruptcy filing says the company faces travel claims of $743,000 among total liabilities of $1.3 million.

Chung also said calls to his office or the bankruptcy court won't speed up the process and a customer information telephone line Jimmy's Travel had set up is being cut.