It turns out the Ramada Inn will not be a part of a master commissioner’s auction now.
Henderson Circuit Judge Karen Wilson signed an order granting motion to cancel the sale on Sept. 1.
The master commissioner’s auction had been set for Sept. 9. It had been scheduled to satisfy a Henderson Circuit Court judgment that found the owners of the property, DNL Properties, owed Field & Main Bank $910,245.88 total on two separate loans from the bank.
According to Wilson’s summary judgment about a month ago, the property “should be sold free and clear of any and all liens and claims to the parties to this action.”
But that debt got paid off before the master commissioner’s auction could occur.
Davis Hunter, who was the most recent attorney representing Field & Main, told the Hendersonian that the defendants have paid off the two mortgages they had had with the bank and are now the owners of the property.
“Because it’s paid in full, Field & Main no longer has standing,” Hunter said.
Court documents show that the defendants had owed $735,613.59 on the first loan, which the parties had agreed to in July 2014, and $161,013.32 on the second loan, which the parties had agreed to in February 2023.
In addition to the DNL Properties LLC, individual owners are Kaushikkumar D. Patel, Niral K. Patel and Sureschkumar Patel, all of Georgia.
Now that the ownership is in the hands of DNL Properties and the individuals, the owners would still need to bring the structure up to the regulations required by the Green River District Health Department—with a score of 85 or higher with zero critical violations—before it can open as a hotel, according to the health department.
Health department reports and supporting photos since January 2024 show the Ramada has been dogged by maintenance issues the past couple years.
In January 2024, a busted pipe sent both the Henderson Fire Department and a local health department representative to the hotel. The busted pipe resulted in parts of the building being flooded.
Another report details an ongoing water leak and damaged ceiling tiles at the hotel.
Subsequent inspections revealed more maintenance issues, including a leaky roof, which had recently been replaced, over the hotel’s restaurant. There were also plumbing issues, heating deficiencies and air quality concerns.
The inspection reports included more than 200 photos documenting problems, some extreme, at the hotel over the past two years.
An appraisal completed in August by Kevin Herron and Mitchel Hazelwood valued the property at $1.5 million, according to court documents.
