Entergy Mississippi Sues McDonald’s USA Over DeSoto County Real-Estate Billing Dispute

Entergy Mississippi, LLC filed a civil action against McDonald’s USA, LLC in DeSoto County Circuit Court on March 2, 2026, and the filing is categorized in the court record as a real-property dispute. The brief public summary of the filing available to reporters is truncated, ending in the fragment “the ac,” leaving the complaint’s detailed allegations, requested relief and any dollar amounts unclear.

The publicly available docket excerpt does not include the complaint text or a case number in the materials provided to this newsroom, so key facts remain unconfirmed. Reporters and the court clerk will need the DeSoto County complaint and docket sheet to verify the precise causes of action, whether the dispute concerns unpaid utility bills, lease obligations, property taxes, or another real-estate issue, and whether any particular store addresses or franchisees are named.

Background litigation documents filed in other matters underscore why the ownership model of a McDonald’s location could matter in a dispute over property charges. A federal complaint filed Aug. 31, 2020 (Case No. 1:20-cv-05132) states that as of May 1, 2020 approximately 95% of U.S. McDonald’s restaurants were franchised and about 5% were company-owned McOpCo restaurants, and that “McDonald’s requires every franchisee to sign its standard Franchise Agreement ... and leased to the franchisee through an Operator’s Lease (‘Lease’), for a twenty (20) year term.” Those franchise and lease arrangements determine whether McDonald’s or an independent operator is the contractual party responsible for real-estate charges.

Entergy-related litigation history in Mississippi and federal court shows the utility and its affiliates have been parties to disputes and court orders in the past. A district court opinion from 2005 by District Judge William Barbour Jr. described a separate employment case involving Entergy Operations, Inc. and ordered monetary sanctions against plaintiff Charlean McDonald, stating that “[e]nough is enough.” That order required payment of previously awarded sanctions and an additional sanction to total $3,500, with a payment deadline set for Feb. 20, 2006.

A Mississippi appellate opinion also reflected Entergy’s involvement in contract and arbitration litigation: McFarland v. Entergy Miss. Inc., 919 So. 2d 894, was disposed “Affirmed and remanded” on Feb. 15, 2022, and the opinion identified the issue as the validity of an agreement to arbitrate. The appellate filing lists attorneys Margaret Sams Gratz for appellants and William C. Hammack for the appellee, and names Justices Wilson, McDonald and Lawrence on the panel.

Until the DeSoto County complaint and docket are obtained, the core facts that will determine daily operational consequences for McDonald’s restaurants in DeSoto County - whether Entergy seeks payment for utility charges, lease-related billing from property McDonald’s owns, or other relief - remain unverified. Obtaining the complaint and any subsequent filings will be necessary to identify the store or stores at issue, the legal basis of Entergy’s claims, and whether the dispute implicates a franchised operator or a McOpCo location.