Texas Bankruptcy Court Rejects Ocean Point's Bid to Shift Refinery Dispute Jurisdiction

Port Hamilton wins jurisdictional battle as Texas court defers ownership dispute over refinery land back to the Virgin Islands courts for resolution

The Texas bankruptcy court which oversaw the auction of the Limetree Bay Refinery facility on St. Croix has abstained “from hearing any argument between Ocean Point and the Purchaser relating to underlying ownership rights of any assets or shared services systems." The ruling comes amid a bid by Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation to have themselves declared the full, free, and clear owner of all buildings and other improvements on the land the refinery sits on.

Port Hamilton launched a “quiet title” action for the refinery property in the Superior Court in February of this year, claiming that Limetree Bay Terminals, now doing business as Ocean Point Terminals, had been meddling with equipment and blocking access to Port Hamilton’s buildings. According to the complaint filed by PHRT attorneys, Ocean Point is making unfounded claims of ownership about “certain assets that sit on land that was transferred to Port Hamilton during the sale of the bankrupt Limetree Bay Refinery at auction.” As a result, Port Hamilton is seeking to settle the dispute by asking the courts to declare it the owner of the land and its improvements free and clear, removing any other party’s claims.