Hartmarx — the Chicago-based suitmaker to President Obama — was saved from liquidation yesterday in a deal that had weathered a month’s worth of delays.

British private-equity firm Emerisque partnered with India-based SKNL to scoop Hartmarx out of bankruptcy — but not before squabbles over more than $2 million in last-minute fees and other costs threatened to derail the deal.

As negotiations wore on yesterday afternoon, the century-old manufacturer failed to meet its payroll, spurring rumors among Hartmarx’s thousands of workers that the company might be forced to shutter its factories for a lack of cash and financing to fund operations.

Indeed, Emerisque had raised concerns in recent weeks that Hartmarx officials had done a shoddy job of preparing for the transfer of ownership — for example, failing to properly fire and rehire workers according to a workforce restructuring plan.

Sources said former Hartmarx CEO Homi Patel surprised Emerisque officials when he announced the departure of three top executives after the deal to sell the company was announced in June. Since then, Emerisque has raised numerous questions about the company’s books.

In a court filing this week, Emerisque accused Hartmarx’s advisers of trying to “extort” additional fees and costs beyond the original purchase agreement, which had valued the company at more than $128.4 million.

Disputed obligations included the costs of winding down some assets that Emerisque elected not to buy — for example a factory in Anniston, Ala., that makes pants to match suit jackets that are made at a plant in Des Plaines, Ill., that Emerisque will buy.

The Des Plaines plant, which makes the Hart Schaffner Marx brand, recently made a handful of new suits for President Obama despite the chaos surrounding the company, according to one source close to the situation. james.covert@nypost.com