(Marble Falls, Ark.) -- Dogpatch USA, a defunct theme park in Newton County, Ark. isn't completely forgotten. The courts are deciding its future.

The park shut down in 1993, but the owners now owe hundreds of thousands of dollars from a personal injury lawsuit.

If they don't pay up, the 445-acre piece of land is changing hands once again.

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As Randal Phillips shows off his property in Newton County, Ark., you might wonder why the parking lot is so big. His business, The Hub does a pretty good business, especially during the warmer months, but the property wasn't always a motorcycle resort.

"It was great. I mean, you come up here on a summer day, and there's 25 acres of pavement up here and you would have trouble finding a parking place," says Phillips.

He now owns part of what was a highly successful theme park -- Dogpatch USA.

"Yeah, if these walls could talk, there's no telling what we'd find out," laughs Phillips.

"It's amazing how many of our motorcycle customers remember coming to Dogpatch," says Phillips.

Opened 1968, Dogpatch USAwas based on the famous 'Li'l Abner' comic strip. The park drew thousands in its early years.

"It provided revenue for the county and also surrounding counties. It provided a lot of jobs for Newton, Boone, all the surrounding counties ," says Newton County Circuit Clerk, Donnie Davis.

They say 'every dog has its day.' For Dogpatch USA, that day has passed.

"Just one thing right after another," says Davis.

With similar theme parks nearby, attendance dwindled. Dogpatch USA shut its gates in 1993.

"You know, all those old buildings are still down there. Of course, they look like they're about to fall down, but they look like that when they built them, on purpose," says Phillips.

Once a nationwide attraction ...now, it's a ghost town.

"They started. They did a real good job of cleaning it up, because you couldn't even hardly see it from the highway, and they spent a lot of money and time down there doing that. Then, just all of a sudden, just quit," says Phillips.

In 2005, a teenager got hurt riding his ATV on the property, despite the land being vacant more than a decade. His parents sued. Meaning Davis more or less owns Dogpatch USA.

"Yes, the county does, kinda got the deed for it, but waiting to see what happens in this lawsuit," laughs Davis.

In the mean time, Phillips' business is expanding.

"We're gonna have to build on," says Phillips.

It isn't big enough to for a theme park yet, but, he's keeping his options open. He laughs when asked, saying he'd probably call it "Hogpatch."

"I don't see that happening, but it'd be kind of neat," says Phillips.

Last month, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the injured teenager.

Newton county says the owners have until March 29th to pay. The bill: $550,000. If the owner's don't pay, the deed to the 445 acre piece of land goes to the family of the injured boy.

Conact: dmagditch@kspr.com