State Tax Agency Revokes Sales Tax Liens from Greenbrier HotelState Tax Agency Revokes Sales Tax Liens from Greenbrier Hotel The West Virginia state tax department has withdrawn two sales tax liens totaling $897,615 from The Greenbrier Hotel, owned by Governor Jim Justice and his family. Lien Withdrawals * One lien for $566,800 was withdrawn on July 16. * Another lien for $330,815 was withdrawn on July 8. Tax Lien Overview A tax lien is a legal claim on assets placed on individuals or companies that fail to pay taxes. Merchants collect sales tax from customers and are responsible for remitting it to the government. Unpaid Sales Taxes Earlier this year, the state tax department filed garnishees for $3.5 million in unpaid sales taxes owed by The Greenbrier Hotel Corp. Governor Justice said the company set up a payment plan to settle the liens. Outstanding Liens Despite the recent withdrawals, four original liens and a mortgage remain outstanding, totaling $2,752,907. Original Liens * 07/22/23: $388,540 * 09/22/23: $562,514 * 10/21/23: $551,681 * 11/02/23: $551,912 * 11/17/23: $568,794 Added Lien * 12/21/23: $518,006 Withdrawn Liens * 04/04: $388,540 * 07/08: $330,815 * 07/16: $566,800
The state of West Virginia has dropped two liens originally placed on The Greenbrier Hotel, owned by Gov. Jim Justice and his family, for unpaid sales taxes.
The two liens dropped this month in Greenbrier County total $897,615.
One lien for $566,800 was withdrawn on July 16. Another lien for $330,815 was withdrawn on July 8.
A tax lien is a legal claim on the assets of a person or company that fails to pay taxes due.
Merchants collect sales tax from customers, but it is never their money. It is the customer’s money that flows to the government, with the merchant acting as an intermediary to pass on — or remit — those collections to the taxman.
Sellers such as The Greenbrier Hotel must collect sales tax upon purchase. West Virginia sales taxes must be filed and paid monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on the assigned filing frequency.
Earlier this year, on February 5, the state tax department filed seven garnishees for $3.5 million in unpaid sales taxes owed by The Greenbrier Hotel Corp., the ownership group of the historic West Virginia resort.
The amounts owed to the state had built up over a period of months, from late June to November last year.
Governor Jim Justice
Governor Justice, patriarch of the family that owns The Greenbrier and chief executive of the state tax agency, said in April that the company had set up a payment plan to settle the liens.
“There are two, you know, payment plans with the IRS and they’re completely up to date. Everything’s pretty close there. And the other thing is all the taxes owed — all the other taxes owed, and everything — have all been paid,” Justice said in April on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”
Online Greenbrier County records show one lien was released in April. That lien, for $388,540, was dated June 30.
But the same data shows that a new lien was added to the bucket in April. It’s for $518,006.37 and reflects sales taxes that were due by December 21st.
So, if we include the two most recent actions this month, the three oldest liens have been removed. That amounts to $1,286,155.
That means there are still four of the original liens outstanding, plus the mortgage that was added later. The total is $2,752,907.
When Justice was first elected governor, he sent a letter to state officials saying that placing his family’s assets in a blind trust would be very complicated, but that he expected his companies to abide by the law and ethics.
“I assure you that there is absolutely no expectation on behalf of any member of my family to receive special treatment,” Justice said at the time. “I expect all laws, regulations and policies to be strictly observed and enforced with respect to all businesses associated with my family.”
Original liens
$388,540 as of 22-07-2023
$330,815 as of 08/02/23
$566,800 as of 20-08-2023
$562,514 as of 22-09-2023
$551,681 as of 10-21-23
$551,912 as of 11/02/2023
$568,794 as of 11/17/2023
Added
$518,006 as of 21-12-2023
Withdrawn
$388,540 (recorded 4/4)
$330,815 (recorded 7/8)
$566,800 (recorded 7/16)
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