Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Karen Hauck Losito, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for North Lincoln Avenue, Salem property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. The Newbold Group, Inc., East Lincoln Way, Lisbon, and Soaring Eagle LLC, West Fifth Street, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for East Fifth Street, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Earl A. Schory II, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Summit Street, Salem property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Patrick D. Dingman, state Route 170, Negley, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Pancake Clarkson Road, Rogers property.

Jamie Lyn Fane, Heck Road, East Palestine, vs. Bruce F. Fane, Wheatfield, Ind.; divorce sought.

Jessica Bushee, North Middle Street, Columbiana, and Tyler J. Bushee, Westview Avenue, Salem; dissolution sought.

Emily M. Buckius, Globe Street, East Liverpool, and Keith A. Buckius, Old state Route 154, Rogers; dissolution sought.

Natalie D. Eckman, Niles, and Michael J. Eckman, state Route 558, Leetonia; dissolution sought.

Asshi S. Turney, administrator of estate of Rajdeep Singh, deceased, Akron, vs. East Liverpool City Hospital,West Fifth Street, East Liverpool, et al.; monetary damages sought for alleged refiled wrongful death claim.

American Express National Bank, Independence vs. Mark A. Downey, Linda Way, New Waterford; collection sought of alleged $12,827 debt.

American Express National Bank, Independence, vs. Nathan Howe, Bear Hollow Road, Lisbon; collection sought of alleged $10,560 debt.

Capital One, N.A., Columbus, vs. Adam Kelly, Jupiter Drive, Wellsville; collection sought of alleged $22,095 debt.

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, vs. Joey L. Snyder, West Chestnut Street, Lisbon, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Docket Entries

Columbiana County Commissioners vs. Michael W. and Stephanie L. Dilworth; West Main Street, East Palestine, et al.; petition to appropriate 0.049 acres for permanent easement for bridge replacement project on Hunston Road granted and settled for $1,470.

Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC vs. Tennor Dane McLaughlin, et al.; case stayed.

Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC vs. Nicholas J. Poole, et al; foreclosure vacated.

Galazy International Purchasing LLC vs. William Houshour; case dismissed.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. vs. Paige Baughman; $16,031 judgment granted to plaintiff, with case settled for $12,825.

Westlake Services, LLC doing business as Westlake Financial Services vs. Alec Hamlin, et al.; $16,380 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Jamie Lee Hatfield and Joanna Hope Hatfield; dissolution granted.

Misti R. Allison vs. Aaron Allison; divorce granted.

Court News

LISBON — A Pennsylvania man caught in a sex for hire sting in 2023 remains not currently competent due to being unable to understand the nature and objective of the legal proceedings against him.

Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam again found that Steven R. Stark, 47, Susquehanna, Pa., wasn’t competent based on an evaluation by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio.

The state was granted time to investigate the probability of restoring the defendant to competency if inpatient hospitalization services are provided at Heartland Behavioral Health. A status hearing is now set for Feb. 26.

Previously, the judge ordered the least restrictive treatment available considering public safety and Stark’s treatment needs related to restoration, with outpatient weekly psychoeducational services through the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio.

In September 2024, Stark entered a guilty plea to attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fifth-degree felony. Charges of third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution were to be dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

He was originally scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 19, 2024, but the hearing was continued until Jan. 10, 2025 then continued again until March 6, 2025 when the competency evaluation was ordered. In May 2025, he was found not competent.

Stark was accused of responding to a posted undercover ad of an adult female and 15-year-old female on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual conduct with both females in exchange for $320, then arriving in East Palestine on Aug. 7, 2023 for the meeting where he was met by police.