Tallmantz Aviation Head Files for Bankruptcy, Blames County

Blaming Orange County airport officials for his fiscal woes, the majority owner of Tallmantz Aviation Inc. has filed for bankruptcy.

Charles C. Seven, president and chief executive of Orange Aviation--which does business as Tallmantz--filed Friday for bankruptcy reorganization under Chapter 11 of federal bankruptcy laws.

The papers, filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Santa Ana, do not list the company’s debts or liabilities. But bankruptcy specialist William N. Lobel, who represents Tallmantz, said the company has debts of at least $7.5 million.

Tallmantz is a longtime Orange County company that maintains corporate, private and some government planes and sells parts and fuel at John Wayne Airport.

Last December, the county threatened to evict Tallmantz from John Wayne Airport unless the company paid more than $347,000 that the county claims Tallmantz owes in back rent and other charges. By filing the Chapter 11 proceeding, Tallmantz has prevented the eviction, Lobel said.

According to Seven, Tallmantz was forced into Chapter 11 by the county’s “inability to deal in good faith” in negotiating airport leases with the company. Seven contends that the county unfairly dealt with his company because officials want to eliminate Tallmantz--and other non-commercial companies--and replace them with commercial carriers and a commercial freight terminal.

Airport authorities deny Seven’s allegations. “We’re not trying to drive anyone out,” said Jan Mittermeier, assistant airport manager. Non-commercial companies “provide a valuable service to general and commercial aviation, and we’d like to have them stay,” Mittermeier said.