CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATES
SC 13D, 1997-05-16
Previous: FAST FOOD OPERATORS INC, 10QSB, 1997-05-16
Next: BIOSONICS INC, NT 10-Q, 1997-05-16



<PAGE>




                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13D

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                              COSTILLA ENERGY, INC.
                                (Name of Issuer)

                          COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.10
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    22161G103
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                               Mr. Bruce G. Wilcox
                              Cumberland Associates
                           1114 Avenue of the Americas
                            New York, New York 10036
                                 (212) 536-9700
                       (Name, Address and Telephone Number
                     of Person Authorized to Receive Notices
                               and Communications)



                                   May 7, 1997
                      (Date of Event which Requires Filing
                               of this Statement)


If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box |_|.





                              

                               
<PAGE>



                                  SCHEDULE 13D

CUSIP No. 2216G103

1.  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

         CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATES

2.  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                        a[ ]
                                                                        b[X]
3.  SEC USE ONLY

4.  SOURCE OF FUNDS*
         WC,00

5.  CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
    PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)                                       [ ]

6.  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
         New York

                           7.  SOLE VOTING POWER

                                 505,000

 NUMBER OF                 8.  SHARED VOTING POWER
  SHARES
BENEFICIALLY                      95,000
 OWNED BY
   EACH                    9.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
 REPORTING
  PERSON                         505,000
   WITH
                      10.  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                  95,000

11.  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
            600,000

12.  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
     CERTAIN SHARES*                                                [ ]

13.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
          5.7%

14.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
                  PN, IA



                                       1
<PAGE>




Item 1.  Security and Issuer.

          This statement relates to the common stock, par value $.10 per share
(the "Common Stock" or the "Shares"), of Costilla Energy, Inc. (the "Company"),
which has its principal executive offices at 400 West Illinois, Suite 1000,
Midland, Texas 79701.

Item 2. Identity and Background.

          This statement is being filed by Cumberland Associates. Cumberland
Associates is a limited partnership organized under the laws of the State of New
York, and is engaged in the business of managing, on a discretionary basis,
eleven securities accounts, the principal one of which is Cumberland Partners.
The address of the principal business and office of Cumberland Associates is
1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036.

          K. Tucker Andersen, Gary Tynes, Oscar S. Schafer, Bruce G. Wilcox,
Glenn Krevlin, Andrew Wallach and Eleanor Poppe are the general partners (the
"General Partners") of Cumberland Associates. The business address of each of
the General Partners is the same as that of Cumberland Associates. Each of the
General Partners is a citizen of the United States.

          Neither Cumberland Associates nor any of the General Partners have,
during the last five years, been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding
traffic violations or similar misdemeanors), nor has any such person, during the
last five years, been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or
administrative body of competent jurisdiction as a result of




                                       2
                               
<PAGE>



which any such person was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order
enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject
to, federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to
such laws.

Item 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration.

          As of the date hereof, Cumberland Associates held and beneficially
owned 600,000 shares of Common Stock. The aggregate purchase price of the Common
Stock purchased by Cumberland Associates on behalf of Cumberland Partners,
LongView Partners LongView B and the other managed accounts was $7,680,858. Of
this amount, Cumberland Associates invested approximately $4,930,875 on behalf
of Cumberland Partners, $1,063,512 on behalf of LongView Partners, $438,368 on
behalf of LongView B and $1,248,103 on behalf of eight of Cumberland Associates'
other account holders. The source of funds for the purchase of all such Common
Stock of Cumberland Associates was a combination of investment capital
contributed by Cumberland Partners, LongView Partners, LongView B and the eight
other managed accounts and margin borrowings through the margin accounts of the
account holders maintained with Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated.

          By virtue of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, each of the General
Partners may be deemed the beneficial owner of all of the Common Stock purchased
by Cumberland Associates on behalf of Cumberland Partners, LongView Partners,
LongView B and the other managed accounts, and therefore each General Partner
may be deemed to have invested the aggregate amount of funds noted




                                       3
<PAGE>


above. None of the General Partners has independently invested any of his or her
funds for the purpose of purchasing the Common Stock.

Item 4.  Purpose of Transaction.

          Cumberland Associates has purchased, on behalf of its discretionary
accounts, the Common Stock in order to acquire an equity interest in the
Company. As of the date hereof, Cumberland Associates is holding such Common
Stock solely for investment and it has no present plans or proposals with
respect to any material change in the Company's business or corporate structure
or, generally, any other action referred to in instructions (a) through (j) of
Item 4 of the form of Schedule 13D. Depending on market conditions and other
factors, Cumberland Associates may continue purchases of Common Stock or may
sell or otherwise dispose of all or portions of such Common Stock, if such sales
and purchases would be desirable investments for the portfolios of its accounts.

Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

          As of the date hereof, Cumberland Associates beneficially owned
600,000(1) shares of Common Stock representing 5.7%(2) of the Common Stock
deemed outstanding on the date hereof.


_______________________
(1)  As to 505,000 Shares of which, there is sole voting power and sole power to
     dispose or to direct the disposition of such Shares; as to 95,000 Shares of
     which, there is shared voting power and shared power to dispose or to      
     direct the disposition of such Shares because the eight other account      
     holders may be deemed beneficial owners of such Shares pursuant to Rule    
     13d-3 under the Act as a result of their right to terminate their          
     discretionary accounts within a period of 60 days.                         

(2)  Based on 10,476,500 shares of Common Stock outstanding, as indicated in
     the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarterly  period ended March 31, 1997,
     as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.                  
     


                               
<PAGE>


          Set forth in Appendix A attached hereto and incorporated herein by
reference are descriptions of the transactions in the Common Stock effected by
Cumberland Associates within the 60 day period ending on the date of this
filing.

          In addition, each of the General Partners may, by virtue of his
position as general partner of Cumberland Associates, be deemed, pursuant to
Rule 13d-3 under the Act, to own beneficially the Common Stock of which
Cumberland Associates would possess beneficial ownership. Other than in their
respective capacities as general partners of Cumberland Associates and except as
set forth above, none of the General Partners is the beneficial owner of any
Common Stock.

Item 6.   Contracts,  Arrangements,  Understandings or
Relationships with Respect to Securities of the Issuer.
- ------------------------------------------------------

          Pursuant to management agreements with all of its accounts except
Cumberland Partners, LongView Partners and LongView B, Cumberland Associates
receives (i) an annual management fee from some of its account holders and (ii)
an incentive fee from all of its account holders based, in the case of some of
the account holders, on the net appreciation during the preceding fiscal or
calendar year in the value of the




                               
<PAGE>



securities in the account and, in the case of other account holders, on the
account's taxable income during the preceding fiscal or calendar year. In the
case of the accounts of Cumberland Partners, LongView Partners and Longview B,
Cumberland Associates receives an annual management fee from each such account
holders which does not include an incentive fee.

Except as otherwise set forth in this statement, to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, there are no contracts, arrangements, understandings or
relationships (legal or otherwise) among or between the undersigned, the General
Partners and any other person with respect to any securities of the Company,
including but not limited to transfer or voting of any of the securities,
finder's fees, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or calls,
guarantees of profits, division of profits or loss, or the giving or withholding
of proxies.

Item 7. Material to be Filed as Exhibits.

        No Exhibits are filed herewith.



                             
<PAGE>




          After reasonable inquiry and to the best knowledge and belief of the
undersigned, the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this
statement is true, complete and correct.

Date:    May 16, 1997

                                     CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATES


                                     By: /s/ Bruce G. Wilcox
                                            Bruce G. Wilcox
                                            General Partner




                              





                                   APPENDIX A*


1.       TRANSACTIONS EFFECTED BY CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATES

            DATE OF         NO. OF UNITS         NO. OF UNITS        PRICE PER
          TRANSACTION        PURCHASED             SOLD                 UNIT
          -----------        ----------           -----------        ---------
           5/7/97              50,000                                 $12 1/2
           5/9/97              30,000                                 $12 1/2
           5/13/97             40,000                                 $12 1/8








- ---------------
*     Each of the transactions set forth in this Appendix was a
      regular way transaction.





                               




© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission