Bankruptcy filings fall in August

The number of bankruptcy filings in New Hampshire dropped sharply in August compared to last month and a year earlier. It was second consecutive monthly decrease in what had been an unrelenting four-year climb in bankruptcy filings.There were 421 filings in August, according to unofficial figures, 52 fewer than July and 73 fewer than the previous August. That’s a monthly percentage drop of 11 percent from last month and 15 percent from last year.Until July, bankruptcy filings have been increasing nearly every month since November 2005, when only 29 were filed in the wake of a massive rush to file 1,792 bankruptcies in October 2005, right before the deadline for a new federal law that made it more difficult to declare bankruptcy. Then the recession took over, pushing the number of bankruptcies to their post-2005 peak — 586.Except for June, filings have fallen off on a monthly basis since March, although the numbers were still higher than the previous year. That changed in July.The situation is still not exactly rosy. There were still almost 100 more filings this August than two years ago.There were nine business filings, three more than last month: • EnviroLogic LLC, Chapter 7, Londonderry, filed Aug. 9. Assets: $354,842. Liabilities $ 1,153,389. • Junz of Nashua LLC, Nashua, Chapter 7, filed Aug. 12. Assets: $9,250 Liabilities: $203,830. • Kidder Fuels Inc., Northfield, Chapter 7, filed Aug. 12.Assets: $832,381. Liabilities: $759,013. • KBB Plaistow Pizza Inc, dba Dominos Pizza, Plaistow, Chapter 7, filed Aug. 19. Assets: $35,000. Liabilities: $125,545. • 3 Fern Crossing LLC, North Hampton, Chapter 11, filed Aug. 23, Assets: $250,000. Liabilities: $313,627. • West Concrete Construction Inc., Rindge, Chapter 7, filed Aug. 24. Assets: $40,900. Liabilities: $159,288. • Shepherds Hill Development Co. and Shepherds Hill Development Co. LLC, Londonderry, involuntary Chapter 7, filed Aug. 30. Total Claims: $714,000. • Trikeenan Tileworks Inc., Trikeenan Holdings Inc., Trikeenan Tileworks Inc. of New York, Swanzey, Chapter 11, filed Aug. 30. Assets: $1 million to $10 million Liabilities: $1 million to $10 million. • Mermaid Holdings LLC, Nashua, Chapter 7, Aug. 31. Assets: $100,000 to $500,000. Liabilities: $500,000 to $1 million. — BOB SANDERS/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW