Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin's office has asked a Pulaski County Circuit Court judge to hold Big Country Chateau's owners in criminal contempt of court for allegedly not providing records to a court-appointed receiver for the troubled Little Rock apartment complex.
The motion filed Friday by Assistant Attorney General Amanda J. Wentz asks that the judge at minimum issue an order to show cause for the three corporate defendants — Big Country Chateau, LLC; Apex Big Chateau AR, LLC; and Apex Equity Group, LLC — to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt.
The motion asks the judge to hold the defendants in criminal contempt and fine them $1,000 per day until they provide the receiver "with an accounting of assets and financial records, bank records, tax records, entity formation articles, and purchase agreements pursuant to this Court’s Order."
According to the motion, Apex Big Chateau AR has provided the receiver with a resident ledger, a rent roll and some invoices, but the other two named entities have not provided the receiver any records.
The receiver appointed to oversee the Colonel Glenn Road apartment complex is Sal Thomas of Tarantino Properties.
“This is an insult to both our justice system and the tenants of Big Country Chateau, and my office is seeking to hold the owners in contempt of court and sanction them,” Griffin said in a statement included with a news release Friday.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more details.