JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — A Jasper County judge has denied a request for a new trial on a $1.4 million civil judgment awarded to Joplin against the city’s former master developer.

The Joplin Globe reports the $1.4 million judgment was entered for the city May 13 against Wallace Bajjali Development Partners and its two principals, David Wallace and Costa Bajjali.

The city hired the development partners, of Sugar Land, Texas, in 2012 to lead Joplin’s recovery from the May 2011 tornado.

Bajjali was seeking to overturn the summary judgment after the company defaulted on their contracts with the city and the Joplin Redevelopment Corp. Bajjali contended he hadn’t been properly served notice of the lawsuit.

Circuit Judge David Dally ruled Thursday that sufficient notice of the lawsuit had been given.