LAIFER CAPITAL MANAGMENT INC
SC 13D, 1997-05-29
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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13D

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                (Amendment No. )*

                           Rocky Ford Financial, Inc.
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                  Common Stock
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    774549109
                                 (CUSIP Number)


Mr. Lance Laifer                     With a copy to:
Laifer Capital Management, Inc.      Gerald Adler, Esq.
Hilltop Partners, L.P.               Shereff, Friedman, Hoffman & Goodman, LLP
45 West 45th Street                  919 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10036             New York, New York 10022
(212) 921-4139                       (212) 758-9500
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized
                     to Receive Notices and Communications)

                                  May 22, 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
statement because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following: [ ].

Note: Six copies of this statement, including all exhibits, should be filed with
the Commission. See Rule 13d-1(a) for other parties to whom copies are to be
sent.

*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
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).



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                                  SCHEDULE 13D
CUSIP No.  774549109                           Page    2    of          Pages
          ----------------                          -------     -------
1        NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.  OF ABOVE PERSON
                  Laifer Capital Management, Inc.
2        CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*              (a) |_|
                                                                        (b) |_|
3        SEC USE ONLY

4        SOURCE OF FUNDS*
         WC
5        CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
         PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e)                                     |_|

6        CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
         Delaware

     NUMBER OF         7   SOLE VOTING POWER
      SHARES                       27,000
    BENEFICIALLY           
     OWNED BY          8   SHARED VOTING POWER      
       EACH                        0             
     REPORTING         9   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER   
      PERSON                       27,000           
       WITH            10  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 
                                   13,000           

11       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
         PERSON
                                    40,000

12       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
         CERTAIN SHARES*                                                    |_|

13       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
                                    9.5%

14       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
                                    CO, IA
- -------  ------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
               INCLUDE BOTH SIDES OF THE COVER PAGE, RESPONSES TO
             ITEMS 1-7 (INCLUDING EXHIBITS) OF THE SCHEDULE, AND THE

                             SIGNATURE ATTESTATION.



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                                  SCHEDULE 13D
CUSIP No.  774549109                           Page    3    of           Pages
          -----------------                         -------     --------
1        NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.  OF ABOVE PERSON
                  Lance Laifer
2        CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*              (a) |_|
                                                                        (b) |_|
3        SEC USE ONLY

4        SOURCE OF FUNDS*
         WC
5        CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
         PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e)                                     |_|

6        CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
         USA

     NUMBER OF         7   SOLE VOTING POWER
      SHARES                       27,000
    BENEFICIALLY           
     OWNED BY          8   SHARED VOTING POWER      
       EACH                        0             
     REPORTING         9   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER   
      PERSON                       27,000           
       WITH            10  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 
                                   13,000           

11       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
         PERSON
                                    40,000
12       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
         CERTAIN SHARES*                                                    |_|

13       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
                                    9.5%
14       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
                                    IN
- -------  ------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
               INCLUDE BOTH SIDES OF THE COVER PAGE, RESPONSES TO
             ITEMS 1-7 (INCLUDING EXHIBITS) OF THE SCHEDULE, AND THE
                             SIGNATURE ATTESTATION.




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                                  SCHEDULE 13D
CUSIP No.   774549109                           Page    4    of           Pages
           -----------------                         -------     --------
1        NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.  OF ABOVE PERSON
                  Hilltop Partners, L.P.
2        CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*              (a) |_|
                                                                        (b) |_|
3        SEC USE ONLY

4        SOURCE OF FUNDS*
         WC
5        CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
         PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e)                                     |_|

6        CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
         Delaware

     NUMBER OF         7   SOLE VOTING POWER
      SHARES                       22,000
    BENEFICIALLY           
     OWNED BY          8   SHARED VOTING POWER      
       EACH                        0             
     REPORTING         9   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER   
      PERSON                       22,000           
       WITH            10  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 
                                   0           

11       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
         PERSON
                                    22,000

12       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
         CERTAIN SHARES*                                                    |_|

13       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
                                    5.2%

14       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
                                    PN
- -------  ------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
               INCLUDE BOTH SIDES OF THE COVER PAGE, RESPONSES TO
             ITEMS 1-7 (INCLUDING EXHIBITS) OF THE SCHEDULE, AND THE
                             SIGNATURE ATTESTATION.




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                                  Schedule 13D
                              Harold's Stores, Inc.


                  This Statement on Schedule 13D is filed by Hilltop Partners, 
L.P., Laifer Capital Management, Inc. and Lance Laifer (collectively, the
"Reporting Persons").

Item 1.           Security and Issuer.

                  This Statement relates to the common stock (the "Common
Stock") of Rocky Ford Financial, Inc. (the "Company"). The address of the
principal executive office of the Company is 801 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, CO
81067-0032.

Item 2.           Identity and Background.

                  (a) This Schedule 13D is being filed jointly by Hilltop
Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("Hilltop"), its general partner,
Laifer Capital Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Lance Laifer, the
President, sole Director and principal stockholder of Laifer Capital Management,
Inc.

                  (b), (c) and (f) The address of Hilltop is 45 West 45th
Street, New York, NY 10036. Hilltop is a Delaware limited partnership. Its
principal business is investments.

                  The address of the principal office of Laifer Capital 
Management, Inc. is 45 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036. Laifer Capital
Management, Inc. is a Delaware corporation. Its principal business is investment
management.

                  Lance Laifer's principal occupation is investment management
and his business address is c/o Laifer Capital Management, Inc., 45 West 45th
Street, New York, NY 10036. Mr. Laifer is a United States citizen.

                  (d) and (e). During the past five years, none of the Reporting
Persons has been convicted in any criminal proceeding (excluding traffic
violations or similar misdemeanors) or been a party to a civil proceeding of a
judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of
such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining
future violations of, 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.

                  The source of the funds used by Hilltop to purchase the
securities of the Company was working capital. The source of the funds used by
Laifer Capital Management, Inc. to purchase the securities of the Company was
(i) the working capital of Hilltop and (ii) the working capital or other funds

of various Wolfson family entities ("Wolfson") and Hilltop Offshore Limited
("Offshore"), which are investment advisory clients of Laifer Capital
Management, Inc. The amount of funds used by the Reporting Persons to purchase
Common Stock is as follows:


                                     Page 5

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Hilltop                                            $297,000
                                                    -------
Wolfson                                            $175,500
                                                    -------
Offshore                                            $67,500
                                                     ------

Item 4.           Purpose of the Transaction.

                  Each of the Reporting Persons acquired its or his shares of
Common Stock for investment purposes. Each of the Reporting Persons may acquire
or dispose of securities of the Company, including shares of Common Stock,
directly or indirectly, in open-market or privately negotiated transactions,
depending upon the evaluation of the performance and prospects of the Company by
the Reporting Persons and upon other developments and circumstances, including,
but not limited to, general economic and business conditions and stock market
conditions.

                  Except for the foregoing and as disclosed below, no Reporting
Person has any present plans or proposals which relate to or would result in any
of the actions or events described in paragraphs (a) through (j) of Item 4 of
Schedule 13D.

Item 5.           Interest in Securities of Issuer.

                  (a)      Hilltop is the beneficial owner of 22,000 shares 
(5.2%) of Common Stock.

                  Laifer Capital Management, Inc. is the beneficial owner of 
40,000 shares (9.5%) of Common Stock. The 40,000 shares of Common Stock
beneficially owned by Laifer Capital Management, Inc. includes:

                  (i)      22,000 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by 
Laifer Capital Management, Inc. in its capacity as General Partner and
Investment Advisor to Hilltop, which shares have been described in the previous
paragraph; and

                  (ii) 18,000 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by
Laifer Capital Management, Inc. in its capacity as Investment Advisor to various
other clients. These clients include: (a) Wolfson, with an address at One State
Street Plaza, New York, New York 10004-1505, and (b) Offshore, a Cayman Islands

company, with an address c/o Consolidated Fund Management Limited, P.O. Box HM
2257, Par La Ville Place, 14 Par La Ville Road, Hamilton HMJX, Bermuda
(collectively, the "Clients").

                  Lance Laifer, as president, sole director and principal
stockholder of Laifer Capital Management, Inc., is deemed to have the same
beneficial ownership as Laifer Capital Management, Inc.

                  The number of shares beneficially owned by the Reporting
Persons and the percentage of outstanding shares represented thereby have been
computed in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. There were 423,200 shares of Common Stock


                                     Page 6

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of the Company outstanding as of May 28, 1997 as reported to the Reporting
Persons by an officer of the Company.

                  (b) Hilltop has the sole power (i) to vote or to direct the
voting of and (ii) to dispose and to direct the disposition of the 22,000 shares
of Common Stock beneficially owned by it. Hilltop's power to vote and dispose of
its shares rests with Laifer Capital Management, Inc., in its capacity as the
General Partner of Hilltop.

                  Laifer Capital Management, Inc. has the sole power (i) to vote
and to direct the voting of and (ii) to dispose and direct the disposition of
the 22,000 shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by it in its capacity as
the General Partner of Hilltop. Laifer Capital Management, Inc. (i) has sole
power to vote and to direct the voting of and sole power to dispose and direct
the disposition of 5,000 shares of Common Stock owned by Offshore and (ii)
shares with Wolfson the power to dispose and direct the disposition of 13,000
shares of Common Stock owned by Laifer Capital Management, Inc. in its capacity
as Investment Advisor to Wolfson. Wolfson retains the sole power to vote and to
direct the voting of the shares of Common Stock owned by it.

                  (c) The transactions in the Common Stock effected by The
Reporting Persons during the past sixty days are as follows: the Reporting
Persons, on May 22, 1997, acquired in an open market transaction an aggregate of
40,000 shares of Common Stock at a price of $13.50 per share. Such shares Common
Stock were purchased by the Reporting Persons in the amounts reflected in Item 5
herein.

                  (d)      Not applicable.

                  (e)      Not applicable.

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


                  None.

Item 7.           Material to be Filed as Exhibits.

                  Exhibit A.        Agreement of Joint Filing.




                                     Page 7

<PAGE>



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


Dated:  May 29, 1997                       HILLTOP PARTNERS, L.P.


                                           By:  LAIFER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.,
                                                as General Partner


                                           By:  /s/ Lance Laifer
                                                -------------------------------
                                                Lance Laifer
                                                President

                                           LAIFER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.


                                           By:  /s/ Lance Laifer
                                                -------------------------------
                                                Lance Laifer
                                                President


                                                /s/ Lance Laifer
                                                -------------------------------
                                                Lance Laifer



                                     Page 8

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                                    EXHIBIT A


                            AGREEMENT OF JOINT FILING

                  In accordance with Rule 13d-1(f) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, the undersigned hereby agree to the joint filing with
all other Reporting Persons (as such term is defined in the Schedule 13D
referred to below) of a statement on Schedule 13D or any amendments thereto,
with respect to the Common Stock of Rocky Ford Financial, Inc. and that this
Agreement be included as an Exhibit to such filing.

                  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts
each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together shall
be deemed to constitute one and the same Agreement.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned hereby execute this
Agreement as of the 29th day of May, 1997.


                                           HILLTOP PARTNERS, L.P.

                                           By: LAIFER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC,
                                                  as General Partner


                                           By: /s/ Lance Laifer
                                               -------------------------------
                                               Lance Laifer, President

                                           LAIFER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.


                                           By: /s/ Lance Laifer
                                               -------------------------------
                                               Lance Laifer, President


                                               /s/ Lance Laifer
                                           -----------------------------------
                                           LANCE LAIFER




                            Page 9




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