| Brooke Franchise Corp. Sued for Fraud, Violation of RICO Act
Overland Park, Kan.-based Brooke Corp. was recently named in a lawsuit that alleges the company participated in fraud, negligence and violated the federal RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act). Arthur C. Mann, president of IGWT Insurance Services in Tampa, Fla., filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court saying that Brooke misrepresented facts and manipulated funds. Specifically the lawsuit alleges five counts: fraudulent misrepresentation (Brooke Franchise and Heritage), negligent misrepresentation (Brooke Franchise and Heritage), breach of contract (one each against Brooke Franchising and Heritage) and violation of the RICO Act (Brooke Franchise and Brooke Credit). Mann purchased two Brooke Franchise agencies in Brandon and Tampa, Fla., in 2005.
20 greatest big-screen comic book heroes
With NBC's Heroes one of the most talked-about shows on TV, an enthusiasm for super-powered heroes no longer carries the social stigma it once did. 2008 promises yet more comic book characters migrating from the page to the cinema , with big budget debuts for the long awaited Watchmen, Iron Man, The Flash, and half a dozen lesser characters already in production. We thought it might be timely to review the biggest players in the superhero movie franchise business and assess their future prospects. We've scored them according to a range of substantially arbitrary criteria, focusing on their longevity both in comics and on film, and concocted a box-office score based on an average performance of all movie appearances by the character to date. Having an iconic costume is a key part of establishing a major superhero brand, so we've added a rather subjective costume category too.
Brooke Franchise Corp. to Acquire Chicago Area Agency Network
Brooke Franchise Corp., a subsidiary of Brooke Corp. recently announced an agreement to acquire 60 insurance agency locations from entities associated with Chicago-based J and P Holdings Inc. The acquisition is expected to close on Sept. 28, 2007 and is subject to typical closing conditions. The agencies currently sell auto insurance under the trade names of Lone Star Auto, Insurance Xpress, Car Insurance Store, Hallberg Insurance Agency and Hallberg Xpress in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. The acquired agencies will be converted into Brooke franchises or merged into existing Brooke franchise locations. "This acquisition is a good geographical fit with our existing franchise locations that specialize in auto insurance sales and provides opportunity for current Brooke franchisees to grow through acquisition," said Kyle Garst, Brooke Franchise Corp.'s chairman and chief executive officer.
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