Dispute over shared property leads to lawsuit

A Texas woman is filing a lawsuit against someone she co-owned property with, after failing to receive compensation.

Shannon Gibson filed a lawsuit Sept. 16 against Christopher Bryant in the District Court of Jefferson County, citing breach of contract. 

According to the complaint, Gibson and Bryant are joint owners of several pieces of property located in Jefferson County. The plaintiff alleges the defendant disappeared several years ago, causing the plaintiff to bear the sole responsibility of upkeep costs.

The defendant has since returned, demanding his share of profits from the rental properties, the suit states. As a result, the plaintiff filed a prior partition suit in the court, for which she has not been compensated for by the defendant.

The defendant has also lived in one of the joint properties on Ember Lane in Beaumont since August 2011, without paying for rent, the suit alleges.

Gibson is seeking damages in excess of the jurisdictional limit.

She is being represented in the case by Port Arthur attorney Langston Scott Adams.

District Court of Jefferson County Cause No. E194745.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the District Court of Jefferson County. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.