Other lawsuits against Renaissance

To the editor:

It is unfortunate that Renaissance was unable to produce airplanes in Cape Girardeau. Your article said Renaissance has won all of its litigation but could not recover. That is a misstatement propagated by its attorney. I know, because I was the president of the foundation and have been intimately involved.

The foundation sued Renaissance because it chose to re-interpret and not to comply with its license agreement to produce airplanes. Renaissance obtained an arbitration award against the foundation, but that award was modified by the courts and eventually never confirmed. That award was obtained by materially misrepresenting in testimony Renaissance's capacity, expertise, FAA approvals and financing to produce.

Concurrently, Renaissance attempted to obtain from a third party (with no legal right to sell it) certain property (factory tooling) titled to others. Those acts precipitated a second suit against Renaissance for fraud and conversion, which the foundation (as one rightful owner) was forced to abandon due to its own bankruptcy precipitated by Renaissance's three litigations attempted against the foundation directors. Other claimants to the property remain. John Dearden and Renaissance were also sued by investors in Maryland for fraud in 2000. Renaissance continues to defend at least one suit, in which I am a party, for converting the property of others.

Cape Girardeau is lucky and will come out of this a winner by selling a nice building or finding a genuine business to lease it that will ultimately have a positive impact on the community.

DOUG COMBS, Gilbert, Ariz.