The family of West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has successfully reached an agreement with a credit collection company to prevent the foreclosure of their historic hotel, The Greenbrier resort. This agreement comes as Justice is running for U.S. Senate. The hotel, which has hosted U.S. presidents and other prominent figures, was set to be auctioned off after a loan was sold by JPMorgan Chase to a credit collection company, McCormick 101, which declared it to be in default. The Justice family announced that they had secured the necessary funds to pay off the loan by October 24, 2024.
Governor Justice defended his family’s business practices and claimed that the sale of the loan by JPMorgan Chase was politically motivated to harm his Senate campaign. He stated that his family had a longstanding relationship with JPMorgan and was caught off guard when the loan was sold without prior warning. The auction of The Greenbrier would have had a significant impact on the local economy and threatened hundreds of jobs. Justice’s family attorneys filed a motion to halt the auction, citing various legal arguments, including that the auction would violate the company’s obligation to act in good faith and deal fairly with the corporation.
Employees at The Greenbrier hotel received notice that their health insurance coverage would be terminated unless the Justice family paid $2.4 million in missing contributions. Union officials expressed concerns that contributions deducted from employees’ paychecks were not transferred to the fund. Governor Justice assured reporters that insurance payments were being made regularly and that there was no possibility of employees losing coverage. Justice, who is running for U.S. Senate against Democrat Glenn Elliott, has faced allegations of being late in paying debts and fines related to his family’s business operations.
Governor Justice, who purchased The Greenbrier resort out of bankruptcy in 2009, also owns The Greenbrier Sporting Club, a luxury private community within the resort. This property was also at risk of being auctioned off due to defaulted business loans, but a court battle has delayed the process. Despite these financial challenges, Justice remains determined to keep The Greenbrier in the family and ensure its continued operation. The successful agreement with the credit collection company has allowed the resort to avoid foreclosure and continue serving guests and employees.
