NATCHEZ — Local attorney Lisa Jordan Dale, a candidate for Natchez municipal judge, is involved in an ongoing lawsuit focused on her residence on the second floor of a shared office building.

Dale owns half of the building at 316 Main St., and shares the building expenses equally with the Armando and Sue Ricci Family Trust, which owns the other half.

Dale uses half of the first floor for her law office, while the Riccis use their first floor office as a headquarters for their oil production business.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Adams County Chancery Court, contends Dale inappropriately converted a large part of the second floor into her residence in January 2016, without consulting the Riccis, who own the other part of the building.

The lawsuit asks the court to either force a sale of the property and equal division of the proceeds or a partition of the property to enforce an equal share in its use.

Dale said the lawsuit does not impact her candidacy, because she was living in the Main Street apartment when she qualified.

“I’m confident in my position in my building and in the lawsuit,” Dale said.

Now, the lawsuit claims, the Ricci office on the second floor has been converted into a bathroom and shower and a wall was constructed to create a private apartment for Dale and her family.

Dale said she moved into the apartment in February. She said she also owns a house on Lindberg Avenue, which she purchased the day she learned Municipal Judge Jim Blough would not run for re-election.

“I knew I had to establish a city residence,” Dale said. “The house was not exactly the one I wanted to purchase, but the one I could purchase that day. It had been a long-term plan of mine and my husband’s to make a downtown apartment, and that’s what I did.”

Armando and Sue Ricci could not be reached for comment.

Dale said she would file a response to the lawsuit soon. A date for the hearing has not yet been set.