Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., and his family are suing to block what they describe as an attempt to take control of their historic Greenbrier resort after a hotel-affiliated investor acquired hundreds of millions of dollars in their debt.
In a complaint filed in Greenbrier County Circuit Court, Justice, his family and their business entities accuse an affiliate of Omni Hotels & Resorts and several financial players of orchestrating a takeover of the iconic property through what they call “deceptive” tactics.
The dispute centers on roughly $289 million in loans tied to Justice family businesses, which were sold by Carter Bank to White Sulphur Springs Holdings, an entity backed by Omni’s parent company, TRT Holdings.
That entity has separately filed a federal receivership lawsuit, seeking to place the Greenbrier and related businesses under court-controlled management — a move that could ultimately strip the family of operational control.
According to the complaint, the Justices say they were actively working to pay off the debt and had secured potential financing. They claim TRT executives initially expressed interest in a cooperative deal, including a proposal to forgive $200 million in debt in exchange for a 50% ownership stake and management control of the resort.
Justice allegedly agreed to the framework, but the family claims TRT reversed course the next day. Soon after, the Justices say they were issued a notice of default, which they argue was designed to block their ability to pay off the loans at an agreed price of about $341 million, according to the complaint.
The family is now asking the court to halt any foreclosure or asset seizure and to allow them to repay the debt under what they describe as fair terms.
The complaint also accuses Carter Bank and TRT of acting in bad faith during negotiations, including raising payoff demands and imposing tight deadlines that the family claims undermined refinancing efforts.
In addition, the Justices allege TRT improperly obtained confidential financial and operational information about the Greenbrier during earlier deal discussions and later used that information to position itself to acquire the debt and pursue control of the resort.
However, the Omni-backed entity presents a sharply different account. In the federal receivership filing, White Sulphur Springs Holdings alleges “waste, fraud and abuse” within the Justice business empire, claiming resort revenues were diverted to other ventures, taxes went unpaid, and certain employee-related obligations were not fully met.
The filing also points to a series of financial and legal pressures facing the family’s businesses, including tax disputes, loan defaults and other litigation, according to court filings and records cited by the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
The Greenbrier, a historic luxury resort long tied to the Justice family, has faced financial strain in recent years, including prior foreclosure threats that were ultimately avoided, according to the Gazette-Mail.
The dueling legal actions now set up a high-stakes legal battle over control of one of West Virginia’s most prominent properties, with both sides accusing the other of acting in bad faith as the future of the resort hangs in the balance.
FOX Business reached out to the Justice family, Omni Hotels & Resorts, and Carter Bank for comment.
