Campaign Revives Claim on Gailliard Home Sale

A state Senate campaign has revived a claim that a former lawmaker bought a church-owned mansion for $500, a figure tax records show was a clerical error.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Residential

Campaign Revives Claim on Gailliard Home Sale

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A campaign for North Carolina state Sen. Lisa Barnes has revived a claim that her opponent, James Gailliard, bought a mansion from his church for $500. Gailliard released an ad rebutting the accusation, and property records show the $500 figure stemmed from an error in an excise tax on the original deed.

Why it matters

The dispute centers on the recorded price of a property tied to a church leader and a candidate for state Senate, a fact that matters to voters weighing the candidates. Records show the error was corrected in 2022 and that an independent audit approved a $400,000 sale value, which shapes how the accusation should be judged.

The original deed's excise tax error produced a recorded price of $500 for an 8,600-square-foot home on 7.1 acres, while a 2018 independent audit set the sale at $400,000. The county now values the property and home at $1.3 million.

The players

Lisa Barnes

Lisa Barnes is a Nash County Republican state senator seeking reelection.

James Gailliard

James Gailliard is a former North Carolina state representative and senior pastor of Word Tabernacle Church in Rocky Mount.

Word Tabernacle Church

Word Tabernacle Church is a Rocky Mount congregation that sold the property to Gailliard and was audited in 2018.

The details

In 2017, Word Tabernacle Church in Rocky Mount sold Gailliard the home, which Gailliard said the church originally planned to renovate as part of a headquarters complex before changing course. Property tax records incorrectly listed the sale at $500 and appeared to show Gailliard buying the house from himself for $400,000, an error that was corrected in 2022.

2011: Church bought the property for $1.4 million, according to tax records.
2017: Church sold the 8,600-square-foot home to Gailliard.
2018: An independent audit approved the $400,000 sale value.
2022: The deed error was corrected to reflect the $400,000 sale.

Residential Context

The dispute shows how a single clerical error in an excise tax entry on a 2017 deed produced a $500 recorded price that conflicted with a $400,000 audited value. The later county valuation of $1.3 million reflects a property that has appreciated substantially since the sale.

Property tax records can contain clerical errors that misstate a home's recorded sale price, which affects how buyers and voters interpret a property's history. Homeowners and buyers may wish to verify deed and excise tax entries against audited or closing documents.

The takeaway

Recorded sale prices can differ from actual transaction values when deed paperwork contains errors, so checking the underlying documents is worthwhile. In this case, the correction and audit clarified the record, but the accusation shows how an uncorrected entry can shape public perception.