February court hearing set on Warren Steel Holdings foreclosure

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A Trumbull County judge has scheduled a February hearing to address a request to grant foreclosure on the former Warren Steel Holdings plant. Judge Sarah Thomas Kovoor will hear the motion from Optima Acquisitions on Feb. 4 at 10:20 a.m.

The hearing will take place over the telephone. Optima Acquisitions filed the motion in December after several defendants failed to respond to the original complaint. Those named in the motion include the steel company and several industrial and transportation firms.

A status conference for the case is also set for the same time. The legal action follows a June filing where Optima Acquisitions asked the court to address debts and claims related to the property. The land sits in both Warren and Champion townships.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency joined the case in October. The agency noted that the property is subject to an environmental agreement preventing the land from being used for home development and prohibiting the use of its groundwater. It also restricts digging near a former part of the facility.

Other parties have responded to the case throughout the year. The Trumbull County Treasurer asked the court to protect the county's claim for $232,000 in unpaid property taxes. The Ohio Department of Taxation filed a response stating its previous liens on the property had been satisfied.

Court records show that the property consists of hundreds of acres of industrial land. The steel plant has been closed since 2016.

Courtesy: www.wfmj.com