Pinky Cole Hayes scored a legal victory this week after a federal bankruptcy judge ordered that a Loganville, Georgia, home seized during her Chapter 11 case be returned to her.
The ruling came during an emergency hearing on Thursday, March 26, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta. According to court filings obtained by Fox 5 Atlanta, Guardian Asset Management had taken control of the six-bedroom property, changed the locks, and posted a notice on the home while Pinky Cole Hayes was in the middle of her bankruptcy proceedings.
The judge ruled that Hayes should regain access to the property because the seizure prevented her from collecting rental income that was expected to help fund her reorganization plan. Court records showed she had arranged for a tenant to move into the home beginning April 1.
Hayes had argued that the home should have been protected by the automatic stay that takes effect upon a Chapter 11 filing. That provision generally prevents creditors from pursuing collection efforts or taking control of property unless they obtain permission from the court.
Her attorney, Jamie Christy, previously described the move as unlawful, saying the property had been taken after bankruptcy protections were already in place. In filings, Hayes argued that losing access to the home was creating financial hardship because the rental income was part of her plan to repay creditors.
The latest court fight comes as the Slutty Vegan founder continues to navigate broader financial issues. Hayes filed for Chapter 11 protection in February after court records showed she owed roughly $1.2 million to the U.S. Small Business Administration and another $192,000 to the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Her legal troubles followed a difficult period for Slutty Vegan, the plant-based restaurant chain she launched in 2018. The company expanded quickly from a food truck into a nationally recognized brand with locations across several states and, at one point, a reported valuation of $100 million.
But after years of aggressive growth, the business faced mounting debt, store closures, and restructuring.
Last fall, Hayes announced plans to franchise Slutty Vegan as part of what she called a reset for the company. She hired former Planet Fitness and 7-Eleven executive Shawntel Daniels to oversee the effort and said the next phase of the brand would rely on experienced operators rather than rapid corporate expansion.
The legal battle over the Loganville home has also unfolded as Hayes prepares to make her debut on the next season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
