Sumi James-Black has said she loves her adoptive father, Erie biofuels entrepreneur Samuel P. "Pat" Black III, even as the two fight each other in court over Black's dwindling fortune.

A different kind of contempt has entered into the ordeal.

A judge in Erie County Common Pleas Court has found one of Black's partnerships in civil contempt of court for failing to satisfy a $336,000 judgment in favor of a trust that James-Black controls.

The judge also found the Black Interests Limited Partnership in civil contempt for failing to provide up-to-date financial records to James-Black's SBJ2020 Inheritance Trust.

The Black Interests Limited Partnership, known as BILP, must provide the documents to the SBJ2020 Inheritance Trust no later than Oct. 15, and it must satisfy the judgment within 30 days, according to an order that Judge Erin Connelly Marucci filed on June 4.

The order states that failure to meet the deadline for the judgment will cost Black's partnership $500 a day.

A contempt petition, a hearing and an order

Connelly issued her order at the request of John Mizner, the lead lawyer for James-Black. He filed a contempt petition on April 21 and said BILP's had violated a court order that the judge issued on April 8 over the judgment and the financial records.

Connelly Marucci held a contempt hearing on June 1. A lawyer for BILP, Gery Nietupski, said at the hearing that many of the BILP records were not yet ready.

"I can't control when they are available," Nietupski said.

Connelly Marucci was unpersuaded.

"The Court finds that BILP, through counsel, has many excuses as to why it cannot currently comply with the Court Order," the judge said in her contempt order. "However, it is the Court's belief that such excuses do not preclude compliance."

"It is the Court's belief that these items have been put on the back burner by BILP," according to the order. "The Court is optimistic that the Contempt Petition and subsequent Hearing will serve as a reminder to BILP, moving forward, that a Court Order, which is no good if not enforced, must be complied with."

Connelly Marucci in the order did not blame Nietupski, whom she said, "has undoubtedly worked diligently to comply with the Order." The judge ordered BILP to compensate James-Black's trust for "reasonable attorney's fees" related to the contempt case.

Arbitrator's decision led to judge's involvement

The contempt case grew out of an arbitration award that James-Black's trust won against her father's partnership in November. James-Black's trust claimed BILP failed to provide financial documents to the trust and distribute money to it.

An arbitrator ruled on Nov. 13 that BILP had to pay the trust $334,395, plus attorney's fees, within 30 days. Mizner then went to court to get a judgment against BILP.

Connelly Marucci settled on a final amount of $336,377 when she granted the judgment and established the terms of compliance on April 8.

"BILP, the partnership controlled by Pat Black, was held in contempt of Judge Connelly Marucci's April Order because it failed to produce required financial records and satisfy a financial judgment against it," Mizner said in an email. "This Order appropriately confirms that no one is above the law, and that BILP will be compelled to comply with the Court's order."

Lawyers for Black did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Daughter's federal lawsuit at center of rift

The contempt is part of the larger battle between the 84-year-old Black and James-Black, his 51-year-old adopted daughter and one-time heir apparent. Black adopted James-Black in 2019, when he was 77 and she was 44.

Black, who founded Hero BX biofuels and several other Erie businesses, was once worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He now must pay creditors, including his daughter.

Black is blaming the collapse of his fortune on James-Black, whom he is suing over claims that she conspired to defraud him of $200 million. James-Black is denying the allegations, and U.S. Disrtrict Judge Susan Paradise Baxter dismissed the case's federal claims in February. Black is appealing the decision.

The dismissal of the federal claims prompted calls for reconciliation from Mizner on behalf of James-Black. She is contending that her father's loss of memory has created problems — a claim that Black's lawyer dispute.

"Ms. James-Black will always love her father and has never done anything to dishonor their family relationship," Mizner said after the dismissal of the federal claims. "Sadly, many people have taken advantage of Mr. Black’s declining memory for their own financial benefit.

"Ms. James-Black fervently hopes that Judge Baxter’s ruling will start the reconciliation process with her father, and that his assets will be protected for his own use and benefit, rather than spent on frivolous lawsuits."

No reconciliation has happened.

Original Article by: Ed Palattella at epalattella@usatodayco.com or 814-870-1813.