Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian faces 0,000 lawsuit over debts related to Wonderland.

Ocean City Mayor Jay A. Gillian is facing a civil lawsuit totaling nearly 0,000 in unpaid debts, filed in Cape May County Superior Court. The legal action, brought forth by the 1st Bank of Sea Isle City and the Patricia Gillian Irrevocable Trust, seeks restitution for a court judgment issued in 2024 related to Gillian’s former amusement park, Wonderland Pier.

Court documents indicate that no payments have been made in connection with the judgment. Gillian, who has held the mayoral office since 2010 and is currently campaigning for a fourth term, recently filed for personal bankruptcy. Attempts to reach him for comments regarding the lawsuit were unsuccessful.

Wonderland Pier was a family-owned business from 1965 until 2021. The Gillian family defaulted on approximately million in loans, ultimately leading to the sale of the amusement park to developer Eustace Mita of Icona Resorts. Mita, who has been active in plans to redevelop the site into a luxury hotel and residential townhomes valued at 0 million, is also named in the lawsuit. However, he asserts that he is not responsible for the debts incurred by Wonderland Pier prior to his acquisition of the property.

In light of recent City Council decisions, the site of the former amusement park is under consideration by the Ocean City Planning Board for either rehabilitation or potential rezoning for new development. This decision comes as the city aims to address the future of the valuable waterfront space.

Patricia Gillian, who is involved in the lawsuit, is the widow of Roy Gillian, Jay Gillian’s father, who was both the founder of Wonderland Pier and a former mayor of Ocean City. Roy Gillian passed away in 2024 at the age of 94.

The complaint alleges that the bank and the trust are owed close to 0,000, which they claim was disbursed to Gillian following the property’s sale. Earlier this month, the mayor characterized his bankruptcy declaration as an extraordinarily difficult decision, attributing his financial challenges to a convergence of business choices, personal obligations, and external factors that collectively precipitated significant financial strain.

Gillian expressed hope that through transparency regarding his situation, others in similar predicaments might be encouraged to seek assistance and take steps toward financial recovery.