Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Hecker Sued for Business Jet

After losing a $477 million default judgment from Chrysler a $3.15 million suit from Ford, closing several dealerships and 40 of his Advantage Rent A Car locations, now he may have to turn over his business jet.

by Staff
June 3, 2009
1 min to read


The finance arm of General Electric wants embattled auto dealer and former Advantage Rent A Car owner Denny Hecker to turn over his $9.5 million twin-engine business jet for allegedly defaulting on nearly $12.4 million in loans, according to StarTribune.com.

Gelco Corp., a subsidiary of GE Capital Corp., filed a lawsuit against Den-Star of Minnesota, the entity Hecker used to buy the Bombardier Challenger aircraft. The lawsuit claims Den-Star borrowed $12.8 million to buy the plane in August 2007, then borrowed $357,196 against it in the next couple of months.

Ad Loading...

Gelco and GE Fleet Services sued Hecker and four of his businesses in federal court earlier this month for allegedly defaulting on $7.2 million in car leases Hecker personally guaranteed.

The latest suit comes about a month after Chrysler won a $477 million default judgment against Hecker and several weeks after Ford won a $3.15 million award. Last month, Hyundai Motor Financial sued Hecker, alleging he defaulted on the $104 million he used to acquire 4,500 rental vehicles.

In the latest suit, Gelco says Den-Star failed to make a payment on the aircraft loan in February and missed additional payment installments in April.


More Rental Operations

Back view of a remote driver in front of a screen delivering a car to a location.

Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030

A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.

Read More →
green and blue bar graphs compare fleet sales June 2025 versus June 2026
Fleet Acquisitionby Martin RomjueJuly 8, 2026

Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength

June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.

Read More →
Close up of a row of white CUVs in the Surprice Mobility fleet at the Milan airport.

Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport

The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Julian Gritsch with an MBA class in a classroom.

Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry

Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.

Read More →
Green Motion team with banner bearing Japanese flag.

Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement

Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.

Read More →
ACRA Chairman Sharky Laguana on stage at the ICRS event in Grapevine, Texas.
Legal & Legislativeby Martin RomjueJune 24, 2026

ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future

The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Light blue horizontal bar graphs on a chart showing World Cup-related rental car booking trends.
Rental OperationsJune 23, 2026

World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways

A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.

Read More →
Side view of ICRS speaker Sanchit Garg at podium in front of a floor lit red curtain
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 22, 2026

A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker

Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.

Read More →
Photos of Martin Romjue and Denis Gjoni on opposite sides of large headline for the video.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 17, 2026

Stop Losing Money On Rental Tolls

Regardless of your rental fleet size and structure, fleet managers, executives, and owners can gain valuable insights into an often-overlooked area of fleet operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Richard Lowden gesturing on stage in front of a red curtain at the Gaylord Texan Resort near Dallas.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 12, 2026

Rethink The Future To Avert A Race To The Bottom

Rental car operators heard a sobering industry message and a stern challenge at the close of the International Car Rental Show.

Read More →
Ad Loading...