<PAGE>
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934*
Acceptance Insurance Companies Inc.
-----------------------------------
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, $.40 par value
----------------------------
(Title of Class of Securities)
004308102
---------
(CUSIP Number)
December 27, 2000
-----------------
(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)
Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to
which this Schedule is filed:
[ ] Rule 13d-1(b)
[X] Rule 13d-1(c)
[ ] Rule 13d-1(d)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
<PAGE>
------------------- -----------------
CUSIP No. 004308102 13G Page 2 of 9 Pages
------------------- -----------------
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Bedford Oak Partners, L.P. 06-1504646
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [ ]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
0
------ ----------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 793,000
OWNED BY
EACH ------ ----------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
PERSON
WITH 0
------ ----------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
793,000
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
793,000
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
N/A
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
5.5%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
-2-
<PAGE>
------------------- -----------------
CUSIP No. 004308102 13G Page 3 of 9 Pages
------------------- -----------------
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Bedford Oak Advisors, LLC 13-4007123
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [ ]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
0
------ ----------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 828,400
OWNED BY
EACH ------ ----------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
PERSON
WITH 0
------ ----------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
828,400
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
828,400
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
N/A
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
5.8%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
00
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
-3-
<PAGE>
------------------- -----------------
CUSIP No. 004308102 13G Page 4 of 9 Pages
------------------- -----------------
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Harvey P. Eisen
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [ ]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
United States
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
0
------ ----------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 828,400
OWNED BY
EACH ------ ----------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
PERSON
WITH 0
------ ----------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
828,400
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
828,400
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
N/A
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
5.8%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IN
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
-4-
<PAGE>
Item 1(a): Name of Issuer:
---------- ---------------
Acceptance Insurance Companies Inc. (the "Company").
Item 1(b): Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
---------- ------------------------------------------------
222 South 15th Street, Suite 600
North Omaha, Nebraska 68102
Items 2(a) Name of Person Filing; Address of Principal
---------- -------------------------------------------
and 2(b): Business Office:
--------- ----------------
This statement is filed by and on behalf of
(i) Bedford Oak Partners, L.P. ("BOP"), (ii)
Bedford Oak Advisors, LLC ("BOA"), in its
capacity as investment manager of BOP and
Bedford Oak Capital, L.P. ("BOC"), and (iii)
Harvey Eisen, in his capacity as managing
member of BOA. The principal business address
of each reporting person is 100 South Bedford
Road, Mt. Kisco, New York, 10549.
793,000 shares of Common Stock, par value
$.40, of the Company are held directly by
BOP. An additional 35,400 shares are held
directly by BOC.
Item 2(c): Citizenship:
---------- ------------
BOP is a Delaware limited partnership.
BOA is a Delaware limited liability company.
Mr. Eisen is a United States citizen.
Item 2(d): Title of Class of Securities:
---------- -----------------------------
Common Stock, par value $.40 per share ("Common Stock")
Item 2(e): CUSIP Number:
---------- -------------
004308102
Item 3: If this statement is filed pursuant toss. 240.13d-1(c),
------- -------------------------------------------------------
check this box. [X]
---------------
Items 4(a)-(c): Ownership:
--------------- ----------
As of the date of this statement:
(i) BOP is deemed to have beneficial
ownership for purposes of Section 13(d) of
the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
("Beneficial Ownership") of 793,000 shares of
Common Stock. Such shares represent 5.5% of
the issued and outstanding Common Stock. BOP
-5-
<PAGE>
shares voting and dispositive power over its
holdings of Common Stock with BOA and Mr.
Eisen.
(ii) BOA is deemed to have Beneficial
Ownership of 828,400 shares of Common Stock
by virtue of its position as investment
manager of BOP and BOC. Such shares represent
5.8% of the issued and outstanding Common
Stock. BOA shares voting and dispositive
power over 793,000 of such shares with BOP
and Mr. Eisen. BOA shares voting and
dispositive power over the remaining 35,400
shares with BOC and Mr. Eisen.
(iii) Mr. Eisen is deemed to have Beneficial
Ownership of 828,400 shares of Common Stock by
virtue of his position as the managing member of
BOA. Such shares represent 5.8% of the issued and
outstanding Common Stock. Mr. Eisen shares voting
power and dispositive power over 793,000 of such
shares with BOP and BOA. Mr. Eisen shares voting
power and dispositive power over the remaining
35,400 shares with BOC and BOA.
The percentages used herein are calculated
based upon the 14,310,739 shares of Common
Stock stated to be issued and outstanding as
of November 7, 2000, as reflected in the
Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended September 30, 2000.
Item 5: Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
------- ---------------------------------------------
Not Applicable.
Item 6: Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
------- --------------------------------------------------------
Person:
-------
No person other than BOP, BOA or Mr. Eisen,
with respect to 793,000 shares of Common
Stock, and BOC, BOA and Mr. Eisen with
respect to an additional 35,400 shares of
Common Stock, is known to have the right to
receive or the power to direct the receipt of
dividends from or the proceeds of sale of
such shares of Common Stock.
Item 7: Identification and Classification of the
------- ----------------------------------------
Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being
--------------------------------------------
Reported on By the Parent Holding Company:
------------------------------------------
Not Applicable.
-6-
<PAGE>
Item 8: Identification and Classification of
------ -------------------------------------
Members of the Group:
--------------------
Not Applicable.
Item 9: Notice of Dissolution of Group:
------ ------------------------------
Not Applicable.
Item 10: Certification:
------- -------------
By signing below each of the undersigned
certifies that, to the best of the
undersigned's knowledge and belief, the
securities referred to above were not
acquired and are not held for the purpose of
or with the effect of changing or influencing
the control of the issuer of the securities
and were not acquired and are not held in
connection with or as a participant in any
transaction having that purpose or effect.
-7-
<PAGE>
SIGNATURE
---------
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of the undersigned's knowledge and
belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this
statement is true, complete and correct.
Dated: January 3, 2001
BEDFORD OAK PARTNERS, L.P.
By: BEDFORD OAK MANAGEMENT, LLC, its general
partner
By: /s/ Harvey P. Eisen
------------------------------
Harvey P. Eisen
Chairman and Managing Member
BEDFORD OAK ADVISORS, LLC
By: /s/ Harvey P. Eisen
------------------------------
Harvey P. Eisen
Chairman and Managing Member
/s/ Harvey P. Eisen
----------------------------------
Harvey P. Eisen
-8-
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT INDEX
-------------
Exhibit A: Joint Filing Agreement, dated January 3, 2001, between Bedford
Oak Partners, L.P., Bedford Oak Advisors, LLC and Harvey P.
Eisen.
-9-
