BECKLEY, W.V. — Hundreds of Glade Springs Resort lots owned by the family of Senator Jim Justice narrowly avoided a foreclosure auction in late October. Now, the long-running dispute at the center of the controversy is headed to the West Virginia Supreme Court.
The state’s high court announced Friday that it will hear oral arguments in the case during its next term, which runs from January through June. A specific hearing date has not yet been scheduled.
At issue is whether Justice Holdings, a company controlled by the Justice family, owes homeowners association fees to the Glade Springs Village Property Owners Association. Several hundred of the company’s parcels had been slated for foreclosure sale at 9 a.m. on Oct. 29, according to a legal notice published in the Beckley Register-Herald. The auction was postponed as the legal battle continued.
A Years-Long Dispute
The disagreement between the Justice family’s development business and the Glade Springs property owners association dates back years.
Glade Springs operates as both a resort and a planned residential community, with common properties — including roads, lakes, and golf courses — owned and maintained by the homeowners association. The community includes about 750 private residences.
The Justice family took over as lead developers of the resort and surrounding properties in 2010, several years before Jim Justice was elected governor in 2016 and later U.S. senator.
Currently, Justice corporate executives James Miller and Stephen Ball, along with the senator’s children Jay and Jill Justice, are listed as representatives for Justice Holdings.
Debate Over Assessments and Liens
The HOA argues that Justice Holdings must pay assessments on the parcels it owns, just as other property owners do, and has sought to enforce those assessments through liens. Lawyers for Justice Holdings dispute this, contending the properties were never lawfully incorporated into the Glade Springs Village common interest community — and therefore should not be subject to HOA fees or foreclosure.
In December 2023, Raleigh County Circuit Judge Todd Kirby issued a final order directing a special commissioner to sell the Justice-owned parcels to satisfy the assessment liens.
On June 20, attorneys for Justice Holdings filed a petition for writ of prohibition with the Supreme Court, asking the justices to find that the circuit court exceeded its authority and made decisions based on incorrect legal reasoning.
Supreme Court Orders HOA to Respond
In its order issued Friday, the Supreme Court directed attorneys for the property owners association to show cause why the writ should not be granted — a move that signals the justices are giving significant attention to Justice Holdings’ arguments.
The outcome could clarify not only the future of the Justice-owned lots at Glade Springs, but also broader questions about property rights, community covenants and HOA authority in West Virginia.