Zoo Animalia's future is more than uncertain while a bankruptcy petition was filed in Superior Court on Tuesday. The company owes former owner Normand Trahan more than $330,000.
The owner of Zoo Animalia again tried to get additional time to find a lawyer, but the Supreme Court judge denied her request.
Normand Trahan's lawyers have filed a bankruptcy petition and evidence of the company's insolvency. Zoo Animalia has several debts and creditors. The company owes the previous owner nearly $330,000.
“The company owes the previous owner nearly $330,000 in unsecured debt. We know that almost $11,000 in taxes have not been paid to the municipality of Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé and that amounts are still owed to the Quebec tax office,” explained Me Pierre-Louis Vincent.
A document containing around fifty violations was also submitted. This follows an inspection carried out by the Department of Wildlife on November 8th. It is mentioned that exotic animals are kept outside and the winter quarters are not ready for the cold season.
As far as the insolvency decision is concerned, the court will have to make its decision soon due to the lack of a defense. The zoo site could therefore be returned to the previous owner and the trustee Lemieux Nolet, who currently looks after the animals, could be given permission to dispose of the property and sell the animals. The future of Zoo Animalia will be announced in the coming weeks.