NextCard Drops Reorganization, Decides to Liquidate

Bankrupt credit card lender NextCard Inc. has abandoned plans to reorganize and is planning to liquidate, according to court documents.

The San Francisco-based company filed liquidation plans Monday with U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., under which it would pay $2.5 million to $17 million to creditors, far short of the $464 million in claims filed against the company.

Under terms of the plan, payouts are set to be funded by NextCard’s cash holdings of $4.7 million and a small amount of receivables, furniture and possible litigation awards.

NextCard says the majority of the claims against it relate to a $397-million class-action lawsuit filed by former shareholders.

A onetime darling of the dot-com boom, NextCard fell into trouble with regulators a year ago after issuing too many credit cards to deadbeat borrowers.

Shareholders aren’t expected to receive any payments from the liquidation. NextCard’s stock peaked at $53.12 in 1999.