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In a dramatic twist to a long-running legal battle over unpaid wages, the co-founder of luxury furniture maker BDDW claims the company’s owners secretly moved millions in assets and real estate to dodge a $2.4 million judgment.

According to a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas, co-founder Jonathan Thorson accused BDDW owner Ted Tyler Hays and his wife Jennifer Wink Hays of orchestrating a series of transfers meant to shield their wealth and frustrate court-ordered collections.

The suit paints a vivid picture of corporate shell games and property shuffling worthy of a Wall Street thriller—alleging that the couple shifted entire business operations, inventories, and even customer relationships into new companies registered under Wink’s name.

Unpaid Wages Turn Into a High-Stakes Legal Chase

Thorson and fellow co-founder Grace Song had previously prevailed in a nonjury trial against Hays and BDDW, securing a $2.2 million verdict in 2022 under Pennsylvania’s Wage Payment and Collection Law. With attorney fees and interest, the total ballooned to more than $2.4 million.

But when the time came to collect, Thorson alleges the defendants began playing a legal shell game—transferring ownership, dodging sheriff’s deputies, and ignoring discovery orders.

According to court filings, the judgment debtors refused entry to their Philadelphia warehouse, skipped depositions, and failed to respond to discovery, leading to multiple contempt findings.

New Companies, Same Faces Behind the Scenes

After the judgment, Wink—who had no prior role in BDDW—allegedly created a series of new entities to absorb the company’s assets. Among them were BDDW Auctions and Red Lion Furniture Manufacturing, as well as Boston Hiker LLC and Berks Schoolhouse LLC.

Thorson’s complaint claims these companies became repositories for the assets Hays sought to hide, including furniture inventory, equipment, real estate, and customer goodwill.

The transfers allegedly included:

• Moving ownership of BDDW’s Philadelphia warehouse to Wink’s companies.

• Reassigning the lease of the Los Angeles showroom to BDDW Auctions.

• Transferring a converted Catholic school building housing Schoolhouse LLC.

• Placing a $5.5 million mortgage lien on a Philadelphia rowhouse in Wink’s favor.

Despite these changes, Hays allegedly remained in full control of the new businesses, continuing to run operations, direct designs, and profit from the assets.

‘He Still Benefits,’ Complaint Says

Thorson’s filing accuses Hays of continuing to live off the very assets that should have been used to satisfy the judgment.

“At all times since the transfers, Hays has continued to enjoy the benefit of the assets transferred… managing design, inventory, and sales through Red Lion and BDDW Auction,” the complaint reads.

Thorson’s legal team, George C. Zumbano and Jake D. Becker of Lamb McErlane PC, are asking the court to void the alleged transfers under the Pennsylvania Uniform Voidable Transactions Act, effectively unwinding the scheme and restoring assets to pay the unpaid wages.