About twenty produce suppliers have an order granting a PACA trust claims procedure against Rain Forest Produce, Inc. BB #:288753 Los Angeles, with claims of more than $750,000.
On February 3, South Mill Mushroom Sales, Inc. BB #:185043 Kennett Square, PA, filed a lawsuit against Rain Forest to enforce its rights under PACA. It was joined by a handful of intervening plaintiffs.
On April 22, a judge ruled the claims procedure should go forward. In addition to Rain Forest as a corporation, Juventino Soto, Fernando Pantoja and Anthony Perez are named as defendants.
The companies that joined South Mill as intervening plaintiffs are:
- Coast Citrus Distributors Inc., a corporation doing business as Coast Tropical doing business as Olympic Fruit & Vegetable
- Del Fresh Produce, Inc.
- Excell Prod Inc
- Belle Ami Produce, Inc. , a corporation doing business as Great Earth Produce
- Shapiro Gilman Shandler Co.
- Umina Bros Inc.
- VIP Marketing Inc.
- Best Buy Produce Intl, Inc.
- Pacific Fresh Produce, Inc.
- South Valley Mushroom Farm, Inc.
- Marikian Produce Company, Inc.
- R & C Berndt, Inc., a corporation doing business as Sierra Produce
- Val-Pro Inc., a corporation doing business as Valley Fruit and Produce Co.
- Kern Ridge Growers, LLC
- Riverfront Produce Company LLC
- Calvera, Inc.
- G.W. Palmer & Co., Inc.
- Pacific Trellis Fruit LLC
- Stellar Distributing, Inc.
Rain Forest has ceased business, and a PACA trust has been set up to preserve its assets as it liquidates.
Larry Meuers of Meuers Law Firm represents South Mill in the case, and R. Jason Read and Ryan Maughan of Rynn & Janowsky represent the intervening plaintiffs.
