The West Virginia Tax Division has filed liens on The Greenbrier Hotel and Greenbrier Sporting Club, both owned by the family of Senator Jim Justice, over sales taxes collected but not remitted.
The $1.36 million in financial obligations to the state piled up months ago, but the liens were filed with the Greenbrier County Clerk over the last several weeks.
The state tax issue is distinct from liens amounting to $8 million from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service against Justice and his wife, Cathy, for personal filings dating back to 2009.
Jim Justice
On that conflict, Senator Justice this week told the national news outlet Politico, “I think the bottom line, the whole thing is we have a dispute. I think they owe me a whole lot more money than I owe them.”
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MetroNews has reached out to Justice through his Senate office, The Greenbrier and his family’s Bluestone Industries, but has not yet received comment.
The liens from the West Virginia Tax Division apply to sales taxes that would have been paid by customers. West Virginia sales taxes are required to be filed and remitted monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on an assigned filing frequency.
A lien of $535,143 on The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation was for sales taxes that were due to the state on March 31. The taxes, interest and penalty became due June 22, and the lien was filed with the county clerk on Sept. 5.
Another lien of $279,069 on The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation was for sales taxes that were due to the state on March 31. The tax, interest and penalty became due June 7, and the lien was filed August 5.
A lien of $474,278 on The Greenbrier was for sales tax collections that were due April 30. The amount became final on May 22, and the lien was processed by the county clerk on August 5.
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A lien of $55,415 on The Greenbrier Sporting Club is for sales taxes that were due this past May 31. The amount became final June 22, and the lien was processed by the county clerk Sept. 5.
The officers of The Greenbrier Hotel Corp. include Jay and Jill Justice, the son and daughter of the U.S. senator.
To great acclaim in West Virginia, Jim Justice bought The Greenbrier in May 2009 from CSX Corporation for about $20 million.
His annual financial disclosure with the U.S. Senate, filed in July, continues to describe The Greenbrier as one of his major assets, along with a personal line of credit of $25 million to $50 million from Greenbrier Holdings.
The Greenbrier Hotel has one of just a few licensed casinos in West Virginia.
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To operate in West Virginia, any business, including a casino, must hold a valid business registration certificate from the state tax department. Such a certificate can be suspended or revoked by the Tax Commissioner if the business fails to comply with state tax requirements.
Similarly, entities with a liquor license in West Virginia must obtain a Letter of Good Standing from the West Virginia Tax Division.
In most cases, taxpayers would be considered to be in good standing even with outstanding tax liabilities if they have a payment plan in place to address their outstanding liabilities and are not in default on the payment plan.
Last year, the state tax department also issued several liens on The Greenbrier for sales taxes that were collected but not remitted.
In that case, Justice, who was then governor, said a payment plan to straighten out the liens had gone into effect. Over time, the 2024 liens were withdrawn.
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“All’s good in the neighborhood there,” he said at the time.
He added, “I told everybody repeatedly, over and over, if there’s an obligation we take care of it. We don’t need to spend time worrying about what’s going on with Jim Justice’s businesses.” He continued by saying, “Everything’s current, and everything’s moving right straight ahead.”
The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) welcome the Maryland Terrapins (10-5) to Kendrick Family Ballpark Tuesday afternoon the first encounter between the two programs since 2023 and the first meeting in Morgantown since 2018. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.
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The Mountaineers captured their fourth consecutive series of the season after taking two of the three games from Columbia over the weekend. West Virginia sophomore Matt Ineich and senior Brodie Kresser both blasted grand slams during the series. Ineich lifted WVU in game two with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th in game two, and Kresser ignited a 16-1 rout, capping a six-run second inning in the series finale.
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Gavin Kelly leads West Virginia at the plate with a .436 batting average with a Big 12 leading nine doubles. Ineich and senior Paul Schoenfeld has raked in a team-leading 16 RBI apiece, while senior Matthew Graveline has clubbed a team-high three home runs.
On the mound, West Virginia is expected to start sophomore David Hagen. The right-hander has made four appearances on the season, including one start. He last started in the home-opener against Ohio where he pitched two scoreless innings and recorded a strikeout to collect his first win of the season. He holds a 1.00 ERA with five strikeouts on the season.
After starting 3-4, Maryland is 7-1 in its last eight games. The Terrapins won two of three at UNC Wilmington in the season opening series, followed by a midweek win against Georgetown before getting swept at Louisiana. The Terps bounced back with a pair of midweek wins versus Delaware and swept a one-win Wagner team.
Junior Brayden Martin is batting a team-best .443 to go with four doubles and 12 RBI. Redshirt freshman Ryan Costello leads the Terps in home runs (9) and RBI (21) and is third in batting average at .328, while freshman Ty Kaunus has a team-high seven doubles and has .269 batting average.
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Maryland is scheduled to start freshman Nic Morlang. The right-hander has four appearances on the season, including four starts. He allowed five earned runs in his appearances, coinciding with his two starts, in six innings of work. In his last two appearances in relief, He’s allowed one earned run on five hits.
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West Virginia leads the all-time series 8-5, including a five-game winning streak over Maryland.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a series of parties in Morgantown over the weekend.
Morgantown police officers, West Virginia University Police and state police responded to reports of overcrowded parties, underage drinking, physical altercations and multiple injuries.
Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffie said several citations were issued for open containers and underage consumption.
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Two large parties were dispersed and six arrests were made without incident.
None of the reported injuries are believed to be serious or life-threatening.
The Morgantown Fire Department assisted in the operations.
Hancock County, WV — A Weir High School senior has been recognized as the 2026 West Virginia Student Journalist of the Year.
Hailey Hans was selected for the statewide honor after building a journalism portfolio since her freshman year. She also serves as the staff manager of Weir Student Media, where she oversees articles and is in charge of deadlines.
“When I was a freshman I was placed in the journalism one class, and I actually tried to get pulled from the class. But, then after I sat in the class and I learned a little bit, that’s where my love grew and then from there I continued to take classes, I helped pass a law, and I got to these national conventions. Where it just lit a fire inside me,” Hans said.
Hans is planning to attend West Liberty University in the fall to study education with a minor in journalism, with the goal of becoming a journalism teacher. She will now submit her portfolio for the national-level contest.
