Records in the Greenbrier County Courthouse show that The Greenbrier Resort and four related businesses owe the county over $2.2 million in delinquent property taxes.
According to documents filed in the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Tax Office, the $2,269,492.42 in Greenbrier property taxes for 2023 are overdue. The tax bills cover the historic hotel, the golf and tennis club, the medical clinic and an upscale housing community.
The back taxes add to the growing financial instability of the business empire owned and operated by Governor Jim Justice and his family. Headlining those difficulties is The Greenbrier Resort itself, which is in default of a $40-million loan and faces public auction August 27th.
Former State Senator Stephen Baldwin, who now reports news in the Greenbrier Valley, first reported on the property tax issue back in April at TheRealWV.com. Monday, Baldwin reported that Greenbrier Hotel employees could lose their health insurance by August 27th because the hotel corporation is four months delinquent on premiums to Amalgamated National Health Fund.
Justice has claimed, without providing evidence, that the efforts to collect on his family debts is politically motivated. “It has to be driven by something,” Justice said at his media briefing. “I truly believe it’s a political play. Everybody I talk to says the same thing–it’s a political play.”
More likely it is driven by non-payment.
Here are some of the details of the delinquency filings in the Greenbrier County Tax Office:
–The bulk of the delinquent taxes are for The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation. It has $1,671,793.50 in unpaid property taxes from 2023.
–The next largest amount is $237,157.80 for The Greenbrier Golf and Tennis Club Corporation.
–The overdue tax bill for the Greenbrier Medical Institute totals $123,039.46.
—Fifty-one properties in The Greenbrier Sporting Club are delinquent. Most of those bills range from $1,575 to $2,800 each and the total amount due comes to $212,852.22.
–The Greenbrier Clinic owes $24,649.52 in overdue property taxes.
The total amounts due will actually be higher since the numbers do not reflect interest and penalties that have accrued. Also, the bills increase on the first of every month when interest is added.
Continued nonpayment could lead to the properties being sold. According to the State Auditor’s office, if the 2023 property tax bills are not paid by October 31 of this year, they will be turned over to the Auditor for collection. The earliest a sale would occur would be April 2025.
Property taxes are essential to the financial health of communities. Seventy-six percent of the money goes to the local school system, while the remainder funds local governments and services.
Governor Justice is fond of saying that he does not want anything from West Virginia, that his sole mission is to help make the state better. However, when property taxes go unpaid, he is taking something: funds that are vital to the schools and services in his own county.