West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice in fight to keep historic Greenbrier Hotel

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV (WVNS) — West Virginia’s Republican Gov. Jim Justice is not only running for the U.S. Senate. He’s also struggling to keep his iconic Greenbrier Hotel.

A legal notice announcing a public auction for the luxury resort due to unpaid debts was publicized in the West Virginia Daily News.

It’s only the latest of the Justice family’s financial woes.

The governor’s lawyer Bob Wolford gave a statement to West Virginia MetroNews accusing lender JPMorgan Chase Bank of aligning with the Democrats “to undermine the next Republican Senator from West Virginia.”

The resort near White Sulphur Springs has hosted U.S. presidents and royalty. Justice bought it out of bankruptcy in 2009.

Below is a statement from the team of Governor Jim Justice and his family:

ANOTHER POLITICAL STUNT BY THE DEMOCRAT MACHINE.

Governor Jim Justice has had a long standing personal banking relationship with JPMorgan Chase dating back decades. As part of that relationship the Governor had pledged a second lien position in the Greenbrier Resort behind Carter Bank & Trust to obtain better banking terms from JPMorgan Chase.  Over the past several years the Governor has paid down his debt to JPMorgan substantially.

The Governor and JPMorgan have been working in good faith under a mutual agreement since 2021 and under that agreement the Governor’s debt to JPMorgan has been reduced to $9.4 million.  Performance and payments to JPMorgan have even been made as recent as the end of June of this year.  On July 1, 2024, the Governor was summarily notified in writing by JPMorgan that, despite the existence of a mutual agreement to resolve the outstanding obligations that was being executed upon, they had sold their loan to Beltway Capital. 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. In recent days, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s staunch ties to the Democrat party and his support for the Biden-Harris administration and continued control of the Senate by the Democrats have been well documented. This political stunt is just the latest of several rounds of attacks on Governor Justice and his businesses for political gain.

“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” said Bob Wolford of Miller Johnson, Grand Rapids, Michigan on behalf of the Governor and his companies.  Governor Justice and the Justice Companies will vigorously defend their position and take necessary protective action while they continue to evaluate significant damage claims against JPMorgan Chase and the other parties involved.

Office of Governor Jim Justice (R-WV)

The auction will happen on August 27, 2024, at 2 p.m. at the Greenbrier County Courthouse to be sold to the highest bidder. Governor Justice purchased The Greenbrier in 2009 out of bankruptcy , almost a decade before he became West Virginia’s Governor.

The Greenbrier is filled with history, from its historic golf courses and decor, to the decommissioned military bunker that will leave you curious as to what secrets lie beneath the surface. The Cleveland Browns are the most recent NFL franchise in a line of organizations that have used the training facilities at America’s Resort.

The full Notice of Trustee’s Sale, courtesy of West Virginia Daily News, is below.

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE

Pursuant to the authority vested in the undersigned J. Patrick Jones, Substitute Trustee by Notice of Substitution of Trustee which notice is of record in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Commission of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, and by Deed of Trust dated November 26, 2014 and effective as of December 15, 2014, executed by Greenbrier Hotel Corporation to David M. Moore, Trustee, which deed of trust is of record in the Office of the Clerk of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, in Trust Deed Book 740 at Page 625, the undersigned Substitute Trustee 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. Therefore, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will sell the real estate described in the Deed of Trust, at a public auction on August 27, 2024 at 2 p.m. to the highest bidder at the front door of the Courthouse of said County of Greenbrier, in Lewisburg, West Virginia, which real estate is more completely described as follows:

All that surface only of that certain lot, tract or parcel of land together with the building and improvements thereon, situate in the White Sulphur District, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, and more particularly bounded and described as follows:

Starting at the point of beginning, which is the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and the main entrance to the Greenbrier Hotel, thence leaving said point N 70° 43’ 53” W 64.2 feet, thence N 25° 26’ 31” W 192.2 feet, thence N 54° 44’ 47” W 101.9 feet, thence S 84° 53’ 27” W 127.0 feet, thence N 69° 24’ 13” W 157.4 feet, thence N 52° 34’ 47” W 422.0 feet, thence N 47° 40’ 16” W 263.0 feet, thence N 68° 11’ 20” W 192.5 feet, thence S 74° 36’ 46” W 606.7 feet, thence S 26° 55’ 52” W 123.9 feet, thence S 53° 37’ 36” W 209.8 feet, thence N 80° 42’ 17” W 476.1 feet, thence N 31° 08’ 56” W 197.7 feet, thence S 25° 42’ 31” W 376.8 feet, thence S 50° 43’ 53” W 140.1 feet, thence S 10° 36’ 34” E 297.4 feet, thence S 56° 44’ 48” E 488.2 feet, thence N 16° 27’ 29” E 423.7 feet, thence N 77° 47’ 12” E 270.6 feet, thence S 72° 41’ 36” E 231.0 feet, thence S 25° 58’ 40” E 239.0 feet, thence S 08° 31’ 55” W 115.5 feet, thence S 27° 41’ 59” E 107.1 feet, thence S 42° 14’ 05” E 382.0 feet, thence S 42° 01’ 24” W 181.0 feet, thence S 37° 42’ 05” E 321.3 feet, thence N 77° 44’ 46” E 162.8 feet, thence with the meanders of U.S. Route 60 to the point of beginning, containing approximately 60.5 acres, more or less.

There is excepted from the above real estate those parcels which have been released of record from this Deed of Trust.

The above described real estate shall be sold together with all Improvements and Adjacent Rights, Fixtures, Personal Property and Equipment, Rents, Damage Rights, Permits for Land, Permits for the Other Property Rights, the Ancillary Rights collectively referred to as the “Premises” all of which is more completely set forth and described in the Deed of Trust.

TERMS OF SALE

1. Cash in hand paid on the day of sale.

2. The sale of the property will be made subject to all matters having priority over the deed of trust referred to herein including but not limited to any and all assessments and taxes against said property, all prior liens, encumbrances, lease, restrictions, covenants, conditions, rights of way and easements of any nature whatsoever.

3. The purchaser shall be responsible for the payment of the transfer taxes imposed by West Virginia Code § 11-22-2.

4. The subject property will be sold in “AS IS” condition. The Substitute Trustee makes no representations and warranties of any kind or character including, but not limited to, the condition of the real estate or the title to the real estate to be conveyed.

5. The Substitute Trustee shall be under no duty to cause any existing tenant or person occupying the subject property to vacate said property.

6. The Substitute Trustee reserves the right to adjourn the sale, for a time, or from time to time, without further notice by announcement at the time and place of the sale described above.

7. The beneficiary of the Deed of Trust and holder of the note thereby secured reserves the right to submit a bid for the property at the sale, which bid may be in the form of a credit bid.

8. Such other terms as may be announced at the time of Sale.

Given under my hand this 26th day of July, 2024.

/s/ J. Patrick Jones

J. Patrick Jones, Substitute Trustee

304-529-2391

(1,8ag)

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.