Business Merger Runs Into Legal Wrangling

A lawsuit is challenging the proposed merger of John Q. Hammons Hotels Corpation with a private company, Barcelo Crestline. The lawsuit has been filed by Garco Investments, one of the owners of Hammons Hotels common stock. It says Carcelo Crestline’s offer for the stock is too low. The suit says Hammons, who owns about 76 percent of the stock in question, has accepted the officer so that it furthers his interets but damages the public shareholders of the company. A spokesman for the Hammons company says the suit is premature and without merit.