Holly Hill Mall Wins $47,093 Judgment Against Local Microschool

Holly Hill Mall and Business Center secured a judgment of $47,093.51 against Burbrella Learning Academy following a hearing in Alamance County superior court, a visiting Wake County judge, Jennifer H. Bedford, signed the order on December 8. The mall had sued in June 2025 seeking $41,016.46 in unpaid rent for January through May 2025, plus prorated rent for June on two commercial suites, numbered 130 and 140, several doors down from the Dunham’s sporting goods store.

The court found there were "no genuine issues of material fact" and awarded the mall unpaid rent plus court costs and attorneys fees. Holly Hill Mall was represented by the Vernon Law Firm of Burlington. Burbrella did not file a response to the lawsuit and was not represented by counsel at the hearing. A Burbrella representative appeared and unsuccessfully asked for a continuance, arguing the complaint had not been served; the judge ruled the complaint had been properly served on September 16, 2025. Separately, Burbrella was ordered to vacate the two mall locations by June 21, 2025 for nonpayment and breach of the leases.

The legal decision crystallizes financial exposure for the small private microschool, which state records show enrolled about 57 students and had received Opportunity Scholarship funding in prior years. Microschools typically operate with much smaller class sizes than traditional schools, a model that can deliver personalized instruction but also concentrates financial risk when enrollment or funding shifts. For families whose children attended Burbrella at Holly Hill Mall, the eviction and the judgment signal potential disruption, even as the school moved on to seek a new site.

In late August 2025 Burbrella purchased a property at 7261 Burlington Road in Whitsett, across the county line, paying $975,000 according to recorded deeds. That acquisition came after the June lease termination at the mall, and the December judgment may factor into any creditor actions or liens related to the Whitsett property and Burbrella’s operations going forward.

For Holly Hill Mall and its remaining tenants, the case highlights landlords’ willingness to enforce lease terms and pursue recovery through the courts when rents go unpaid. For local policymakers and families, the episode raises questions about the financial stability of small private schools that rely on limited enrollment and scholarship funding, and about protections for students when such institutions collapse or relocate. As the microschool sector continues to evolve, the Burbrella judgment will be a data point for both commercial landlords and education officials monitoring how alternative school models affect community stability.