Brookfield trustees have filed a motion in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to enforce the settlement agreement they had reached with Tommie and Kathy Norris Phillips over the condition of the Phillipses’ property at 8085 Warren Sharon Road.
The agreement had given the Phillipses until Nov. 1, 2019, to remove or place in a garage “inoperable, junk or unlicensed vehicles.” The agreement followed a long-running dispute over the condition of the Phillipses’ property.
A contractor hired by the trustees removed a boat and a car on Nov. 27, 2019, but said the property was too wet to remove more. Winter and the COVID-19 pandemic followed, and the trustees didn’t try again until July 16, when Tommie Phillips claimed the township had run out of time to remove vehicles. Trustee Dan Suttles said the trustees believe they had no time limit.
A Trumbull County magistrate held a telephone hearing Sept. 17, but the Phillipses did not participate, according to an email from township attorney Jeffrey Goodman to township officials. The magistrate was to prepare a report for a judge and another hearing has been set for Nov. 9.
If the judge issues an order in favor of the township, there likely will be a time period set in order for the Phillipses to comply before the township can take action, the Goodman email said.
“We’re concerned about how long, and then we’re gonna get into the winter months,” Suttles said.
