OPINION|
Editor’s note: This story was updated Aug. 11 to include information about lawsuits filed against Marco Denis and his companies regarding Plaza Towers office spaces.
Although Marco Denis no longer owns Plaza Towers, he filed a lawsuit Wednesday (Aug. 6) to try to get back in, claiming he has $9.2 million in personal property there.
Not personally get back in; he’s still locked up in the Phelps County Jail, pending trials on state charges of domestic assault and a federal gun charge.
He argues in his lawsuit that he has rights as a tenant, like all the other tenants in the 10-story Plaza Towers at Glenstone Avenue and Sunshine Street. His company, Springfield Property LLC, had an office on the third floor.
Denis is alleging that when the new owner bought the building he didn’t buy the personal property of, say, Brad Bradshaw, whose office is on the sixth floor, and he similarly didn’t buy the personal property that Denis had as a tenant in his own building.
I was on the steps of the Greene County Historic Courthouse on April 10 — along with colleague Jackie Rehwald — when Trent Overhue bought Plaza Towers at a foreclosure auction. (The sale became official the next day.)
Overhue bid $13,364,000 for Plaza Towers, which was constructed in 1969 and 1970.
Two days after Denis filed his lawsuit last week, an attorney representing Overhue sued to evict Denis and his company — Springfield Property LLC — from Plaza Towers, specifically from suite 304, where Denis had his office; suite 300, the Sunshine Event Center; and suite 302, the C’est La View Roof Top Bar & Lounge.
The eviction filings state Denis should have been out of Plaza Towers as a tenant on July 31.
But Denis stated in his lawsuit that Overhue first called police — who determined Denis’ representatives were trespassing — and then posted notices of eviction on the suites. Denis wonders how he was supposed to know the letters were there if he representative were not allowed in Plaza Towers. According to court records, he argues:
“Plaintiffs did not receive a copy from Defendants of the June 4 attorney letter in the mail or by any other delivery method. Plaintiffs only received a copy of the June 4 Attorney Letter when provided with a copy by a third party well after June 4, 2025, since Plaintiffs had been trespassed from the Premises.”
What’s included in that $9.2 million? I wish I could tell you
The $9.2 million figure seems like a big number when you consider the purchase price was $13,364,000. You might say I’m skeptical.
The $9.2 million in personal property apparently is spelled out in what’s called “Exhibit G” in the lawsuit. Here’s the reference:
“The personal property belonging to Springfield Property, PTR, and/or Denis, remaining at Plaza Towers on the date of the Foreclosure, which was not removed by Plaintiffs, includes, but is not limited to, the items of tangible personal property listed on the List of Personal Property attached hereto as Exhibit G.”
Unfortunately, I could not access Exhibit G on my computer in the newsroom so I went to the Greene County Circuit Clerk’s Office where I was surprised to learn that the Case.net security level was such that Exhibit G was not available to the public. In fact, all 14 exhibits attached to the lawsuit are unavailable to the public.
Case.net is the online database for Missouri courts.
Some of those exhibits are rather mundane, such as the purchase contract when Denis, a native of Haiti, bought Plaza Towers in 2020.
I’m wondering if this higher security level might be a mistake. On Friday, I left a phone message with the courtroom of Circuit Court Judge Derek Ankrom. The lawsuit was assigned to Ankrom. I did not hear back by deadline.
Lawsuit says new Plaza Towers owner called police, who told Denis’ people they’re trespassing
The day after the foreclosure sale, the lawsuit says Denis’ unnamed representatives went to Plaza Towers to remove what Denis considers his personal property. They went to what was his office in Suite 304.
That’s where they encountered Kelia Turner, according to the lawsuit. She was once Denis’ property manager. She informed Denis’ representatives she is now Overhue’s property manager. She then called Overhue, who arrived on the scene.
Overhue, according to the lawsuit, “communicated” with local police, who concluded that Denis’ representatives were trespassing. They left.
Subsequently, the locks were changed, according to the lawsuit.
The best I can do — without access to Exhibit G — is pull this from the lawsuit, which states that most of what Denis says is his personal property was intended for the opening of new restaurants, event center, rooftop bar and coffee shop.
Denis alleges in the lawsuit that Springfield Property LLC, his company, also had commercial leases for Suite 300 (the Sunshine Event Center) and for Suite 302 (the C’est la Vie Rooftop Bar and Lounge) and therefore he has “personal property” in those two spaces as a tenant.
Denis also wants possession of three vehicles that were at Plaza Towers, as well as some computers.
Specifically, Denis wants possession of a laptop which he says contains privileged and confidential information.
Denis wants ‘free and unfettered access’
In the lawsuit, Denis is asking for “free and unfettered access” to “view, inspect and remove, if desired, their personal property from Plaza Towers.”
Overhue has not yet filed a response in court. I left a message at Plaza Towers asking that he call me. He did not call by deadline.
Denis also contends that he owns the rights to the phrases “Plaza Towers,” “Plaza Towers Center,” “C’est La Vie Rooftop Bar and Lounge” and “Sunshine Event Center.”
The civil lawsuit has 20 counts, which means Denis’ lawyer cites 20 different legal reasons why Denis needs judicial relief.
Count No. 13 is something called “breach of duty of fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty.”
It is directed at Turner, his former employee. It says: “As an employee of Springfield Property, Turner owed a duty of loyalty to Plaintiffs.”
This is Pokin Around column No. 297.
