Former Culpeper County supervisor and realtor Kathy Campbell was held in contempt of court Friday for failing to appear in court last month in relation to a lawsuit claiming she withheld sales commissions from Rappahannock real estate agent Julie Garrett.
Judge Charles Sharp gave Campbell until Aug. 23 to provide documentation outlining her financials, real estate assets and vehicle title information to Garrett’s lawyer, David Konick, or face further legal consequences. At issue is $33,049 in real estate commissions that Garrett said Campbell owes her.
Campbell failed to appear for a July 19 court date to settle the suit originally filed in 2019 by Garrett, who used to work for Campbell as a real estate agent. According to court records, a judge sided with Garrett in June 2020, requiring Campbell to pay the full amount to Garrett. When Campbell filed for bankruptcy, the garnishments taken on her wages to pay Garrett back ceased, but Konick said the bankruptcy has now been dismissed.
In a July 3 summons, Campbell was required to appear to answer interrogatories, or questions from the plaintiff. When Campbell did not appear and could not be reached, a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Campbell appeared in court Friday, representing herself, and went into the jury room with Garrett and Konick to answer their questions. When the group returned to the courtroom, Konick told Sharp that Campbell was “evasive” when answering his questions pertaining to a 2007 Hummer vehicle, bank account information and her real estate interests and equity.
Campbell said she answered every question she “could possibly answer” and maintained that she does not own the Hummer because there is a lien on it. Sharp said that just because there is a lien on a vehicle, it does not mean her name is not on the title or registration.
“Do you know how you demonstrate that? You produce the title,” Sharp said sternly. “Everyone has a lien on a vehicle, Mrs. Campbell…who do you think you’re talking to?”
Sharp found Campbell in contempt of court for her nonappearance in July. When Sharp asked her why she did not appear, she said she was in North Carolina. Sharp told Campbell she needs to produce documentation on the Hummer, her account information at Blue Ridge Bank and all information related to her real estate interests and income by next Friday, Aug. 23.
“That’s your deadline,” Sharp said.
A court date was set for Sept. 20 to review Campbell’s compliance and decide on her punishment for her contempt, which Sharp said “is very much going to depend on what [Campbell] provides to counsel.”
