Fisker claims total nearly $1 billion

There have been $985.4 million in claims made against Fisker Automotive, according to a filing with the bankruptcy court on Friday.

The list, filed by the claims agent appointed by the court to the case, lists 618 claims by parties who say the plug-in hybrid manufacturer owes them money, Fisker declared bankruptcy in November.

The company had purchased the former General Motors plant near Newport, and had been planning to manufacture cars there. Wanxiang America, Inc. was approved by the court on Tuesday to purchase Fisker's assets, including the factory, for $149.2 million.

That is the pot from which creditors will need to seek repayment. That means there are $836 million more in claims than there is money to pay them.

The filing lists $594.6 million in unsecured claims, or those claims not backed up by collateral. It lists $383.5 million in secured claims – claims that, at least on paper, were backed up by a lien on Fisker's assets. It also lists $7.3 million in other claims.

The unsecured claims included a total of roughly $223 million from a group named AEI, under 12 several different variations of the name, including "CleanTech Ventures I" and "Fisker Investments I." It was registered to Benman Holdings, LLC in New York, under the name Andrew Scherr.

Hybrid Tech Holdings, which purchased Fisker's underperforming federal loan, is seeking the full $168 million value of the loan, which it purchased for $25 million. It is listing the claim as secured.

The Delaware Economic Development Authority, which gave Fisker $20 million in economic incentives, was seeking $12.5 million in a secured loan claim, and $7.6 million in an unsecured claim for paying Fisker's utility costs at the Delaware plant.

New Castle County's $1.1 million claim for unpaid taxes appears to be listed twice, first as a priority claim, expected to be paid in full since the county is a taxing authority, and also as a secured claim. Delmarva Power was seeking about $400,000.

General Motors is seeking $6 million, and various Fisker businesses made claims, like Fisker Coachbuild, which owns Fisker's trademarks, as well as Fisker's business in Switzerland. Several Fisker dealerships also made claims, as did a long list of private individuals, banks and parts makers.

A group of former Fisker employees who said they were wrongfully terminated without warning were seeking about $6 million.

Valmet Automotive, which made the Fisker cars at its Finland factory , was seeking $8.5 million in secured claims.