Publishers Clearing House bankruptcy leaves lifetime winners empty

For nearly six decades, Publishers Clearing House held the attention of U.S. consumers dreaming of a knock on their door from the “Prize Patrol,” a bundle of balloons and an oversized check — which oftentimes came in the form of a lifetime payout.

Now, the sweepstakes company is in bankruptcy. Some of those lucky winners, who built their lives around their weekly checks from Publishers Clearing House, won’t receive another cent from the company, sending them scrambling to make ends meet.

Publishers Clearing House filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April, citing mounting financial constraints . The filing revealed the company had amassed liabilities between $50 and $100 million, but had available assets between $1 and $10 million, per The New York Times .

In July, the comp