Some of you may be interested in this article entitled 'Transmontagne soon to be fixed'. It is in French. It indicates that following a meeting in the commercial court in Lyon, they seem to be making some progress with a group called Verdoso (Luxembourg) that specialise in taking over companies in difficulty. They are proposing to take over the residence de tourisme and the ski lifts - [broken link removed]
With regard to the VAT, again from online articles it appears that, if a residence de tourisme loses its financial backer than the VAT will not be refunded, this being the law.
This link may also be of interest-http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-legal/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=22324. It mentions the name of a solicitor in the UK who seems to know his stuff in relation to French property law, particularly leaseback. Hope this helps...