New Hampshire bankruptcies rise a bit in August

But filings are still down for the year

The sharp drop in bankruptcy filings since the recession ended has seemed to plateau, and August statistics only reinforce that impression.

Some 158 New Hampshire individuals and businesses filed for bankruptcy in August, six more than in July, and two fewer than August 2017. In other words, there was hardly any change, though of course it was quite an improvement from August 2010, when 423 filed.

There have been 1,187 bankruptcy filings year to date, maintaining the average of 148 a month, about 3 percent lower than 2017, the first year the number of bankruptcy filings has gone up since 2010. Bankruptcies declined 9 percent in 2016, and went down by double digits in each of the previous five years.

There were nine business-related filings compared to three in July and nine in June. But five out of the nine filings in August were individual filings with business-related debt. That leaves four that were filed as a business.

They were: 

 • White Mountain Organic Growers' Association, dba Great North Woods Farm, North Conway, filed Aug. 3, Chapter 12. (Chapter 12 is designed specifically for family farmers and family fishing businesses to restructure their finances and avoid liquidation or foreclosure.) Assets: $100,000 to $500,000. Liabilities: $500,000 to $1 million.

 • Beebe River Business Park LLC, Campton, filed Aug. 15, Chapter 11. Assets and liabilities: $100,000 to $500,000.

 • Patrick Dorow Productions Inc., Portsmouth, filed Aug. 15, Chapter 7. Assets: $0. Liabilities: $118,246.

 • CVI Development Inc., Epping, filed Aug. 20, Chapter 7. Assets: $0. Liabilities: $23,296.