Harrison County supervisor sued over thousands in unpaid construction materials
A building supply company is suing Harrison County Supervisor Kent Jones, claiming he owes over $66,000 for building materials to build a new home.
The District 4 supervisor currently serving as board president entered into a contract with Phillip’s Building Supply of Gulfport, Inc., on Sept. 27, 2021, the lawsuit says.
In the contract, Jones said he’d pay out-of-pocket for a third of the materials and would finance the remaining costs.
He set up an account with Phillip’s that he was supposed to pay monthly.
By June, his account was delinquent.
“I’m building a house,” Jones said Wednesday. “It’s going to be taken care of. It’s part of a construction loan. I hate it’s gotten to this point. It’s embarrassing.”
Phillip’s attempted to collect the money through an attorney before filing the lawsuit on Nov. 3 in Harrison County Court. The lawsuit is against him individually, not in his capacity as a county supervisor.
The company also filed paperwork in Harrison County Chancery Court for a construction lien on the property on 34th Avenue.
In the lawsuit, the company is also asking for full payment on the account, post-judgment interest, attorney’s fees, court costs, and collection costs. The lawsuit also seeks a construction lien on the property.
Jones, who started serving his first term in 2016, received notice of the lawsuit on Dec. 2.
.Jones told the Sun Herald he will pay the full amount owed.
Prior to serving as a supervisor, Jones worked as a Biloxi police officer and in security at Mississippi Power. His career in Harrison County began 17 years ago when he started working as a safety and environmental officer.
This story was originally published December 7, 2022 at 2:35 PM.
