It was a major win this week for Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole after a federal judge ordered creditors to return a home they seized during her ongoing bankruptcy case.
“I feel relieved that the court gave me authority to reclaim my property,” Cole told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB‑TV reporter Audrey Washington on Thursday.
Court filings show Cole owes $1.2 million to the U.S. Small Business Administration and $192,000 to the Georgia Department of Revenue. Attorney Schuyler Elliott, who is not involved in the case, told the station that bankruptcy often serves as a legal pause button. “Usually, when something is happening, like a foreclosure or a lawsuit, filing bankruptcy will stop all of that,” he said.
But despite that protection, creditor Guardian Asset Management recently seized a Loganville home owned by Cole.
The judge agreed, ordering the locks changed and the property turned back over to Cole. Cole’s legal team is expected to present a formal repayment plan to the court in the coming days.