At least three banks have begun foreclosure actions in court against local businessman Doug Hamilton, claiming he defaulted on about $10 million in mortgages on numerous buildings, properties and mobile homes in and near Rapid City.

Court filings show Great Western Bank, Pioneer Bank & Trust and State Bank & Trust of North Dakota began foreclosure actions in October and November.

Hamilton also hasn't paid nearly $500,000 in property taxes on the mortgaged properties, with some delinquencies stretching back to 2005, according to court documents and information from the Pennington County Treasurer's office.

The properties, managed through Hamilton's company Barker & Little, include the Star Village duplexes on Signal Heights, one of the downtown Aby's Feed & Seed buildings and several Rapid City apartment complexes, including the Sovereign, Greenway and Maple Hill buildings. Also included are several properties in Box Elder.

Hamilton also mortgaged the rent-to-own contracts for mobile homes in the Barker & Little trailer parks. Those trailer parks include Marquette Manor, Countryside Estates, Deluxe Mobile in Rapid City, and the Wagon Wheel trailer park in Box Elder.

Hamilton owes Fargo, N.D.-based State Bank & Trust about $4.8 million, Great Western Bank about $3.3 million and Pioneer Bank about $1.9 million.

The loans originated in 2003 and 2005. Hamilton and the banks renegotiated those loans and extended the final payment date several times over the years, according to mortgage documents including in the banks' court filings.

Many of the mortgages were balloon payment loans. That means a borrower could make little or no payments during the lives of the loans but would pay off the entire balance at the loans' maturity.

The properties and the mobile home titles were owned by numerous limited partnerships Hamilton registered in South Dakota. A Journal investigation shows Hamilton appears to control at least 38 different corporations registered in South Dakota.

Those corporations control the similarly-named limited partnerships that own the properties and other assets. In all of the corporations' filings with the state of South Dakota, Hamilton is listed as each firm's lone director and sole officer.

The foreclosure actions are against numerous Barker & Little-titled firms along with corporations Wilcox & Reid and Nicholson & Cope, two of the firms linked to Hamilton.

As yet, Hamilton and the corporations named in the lawsuits have not filed bankruptcy, according to a search for federal bankruptcy court documents.

Representatives of the banks refused to comment on the foreclosure actions or were unavailable for comment. Hamilton has not responded to repeated requests for comment left with the secretary at Barker & Little, and efforts to leave voice messages for him at his home have been unsuccessful because his voice mail is full.

Hamilton has dabbled in politics, supporting former mayor Jim Shaw and setting up several political action committees to funnel money to candidates.

Hamilton was also part of an effort to develop a second Rapid City Wal-Mart store on the south side of town, along U.S. Highway 16. The plan fizzled in the wake of spirited opposition from neighbors.

Staff writer Andrea Cook contributed to this story.

Contact Jeremy Fugleberg at 394-8421 or e-mail him at jeremy.fugleberg@rapidcityjournal.com