Creditor aims to sell The Greenbrier Hotel to satisfy debt
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
In a legal notice posted online late Wednesday evening, J. Patrick Jones communicated a “notice of trustee’s sale” for a parcel of land in White Sulphur Springs which corresponds to The Greenbrier Hotel’s front entrance and main buildings. It hinges on a deed of trust which was apparently signed on November 26, 2014, “executed by Greenbrier Hotel Corporation to David M. Moore, trustee.”
“The undersigned Substitute Trustee (Jones) has been requested, in writing, by the beneficiary of said deed of trust to sell the real estate and personal property described below, as there has been a default under the terms and conditions of said deed of trust,” it reads.
It goes on to provide notice of a public auction of The Greenbrier Hotel on the Greenbrier County courthouse steps on August 27, 2024 at 2pm. The terms of sale include: cash in hand on the day of sale, the property will be sold “as is,” no one who currently lives on the property will be forced to move, and the sale may be canceled at any time.
Jones is a lawyer for Campbell Woods, a large legal firm with offices in West Virginia and Kentucky. RealWV reached out to Jones for comment on the notice and information about who his firm represents, but we have yet to receive a response as of publication.
Response from Justice
The Greenbrier Hotel is owned by the Justice Companies and is the largest employer in Greenbrier County.
It is a world renowned, luxury resort which regularly hosts dignitaries, conferences, and social guests from around the world. Its motto is, “America’s Resort.” Republican members of Congress held a retreat at the resort earlier this year and the LIV Golf Tour, funded by the Saudi Arabian government’s Private Investment Fund, is holding a golf tournament there in August.
Governor Jim Justice is the head of Justice Companies and the Republican candidate for US Senate. RealWV reached out to the resort for comment and received the following statement after initial publication from Bob Wolford of Miller Johnson (Grand Rapids, Michigan) on behalf of the Governor and his companies: “Let me be clear that the Greenbrier will not be sold, and the Justice family will take all necessary action to ensure that there will not be any adverse impact on their ownership of the Greenbrier or the Greenbrier’s operations and the ability of the Greenbrier to continue to provide world class service for its guests will be uninterrupted.”
The statement headline reads: “ANOTHER POLITICAL STUNT BY THE DEMOCRAT MACHINE.” According to the statement on behalf of Justice, a secondary loan to JPMorgan Chase was being paid down and was then bought by Beltway Capital earlier this year. “After purchasing the loan, Beltway immediately declared the loan to be in default and initiated suit against the Governor and certain of his Companies and commenced foreclosure proceedings against the Greenbrier. This deceitful move by JPMorgan is nothing more than the latest political stunt by the Democrats to undermine the next Republican Senator from West Virginia.”
A string of high-profile legal maneuvers
This is the latest in a string of high-profile legal maneuvers involving the Justice Companies. Earlier this year, Carter Bank & Trust published a similar notice of sale of The Greenbrier Sporting Club in order to satisfy a $300 million debt.
The Justice Companies countersued, citing the adverse affect the legal action could have on The Greenbrier Hotel and the local community. “The effect would not be limited to the Sporting Club. The Greenbrier itself would be seriously damaged…Local jobs will be lost. And the foundation of Greenbrier County’s economy will suffer damage that will be difficult or impossible to repair.”
In a press briefing on February 7, Justice was asked about the notice of sale. “I don’t believe there will be one ounce of anything sold, period.”
In June, the sale was halted as Justice predicted, when lawyers for Carter and Justice reached a repayment agreement for $294 million of debt.
More than $2 million in local taxes are currently delinquent, as we previously reported. Additionally, as Brad McElhinny of WV Metronews reported this week, more than $2.7 million in state taxes are past due. In total, The Greenbrier Hotel owes $4.7 million in state and local taxes. Justice has reiterated at several press briefings this year that all taxes due will be paid.
Stay tuned to RealWV for updates to this breaking story.
