Court records filed in Warren County Common Pleas Court have brought attention to a property dispute involving Sheffield Township code enforcement, the transfer of family-owned property and allegations made by Michelle Grubbs regarding the circumstances surrounding that transfer.

The case involves Shawn Young and Grubbs, who is also acting as an heir to the Estate of Cheryl L. Scuteri. The allegations contained in the filings remain disputed, and no court has issued findings on the claims.

Among the documents connected to the case are Sheffield Township Supervisors meeting minutes dated April 20, 2020. According to those minutes, Young appeared before township officials and discussed providing code enforcement services. The minutes state that Young told supervisors he worked as a code enforcement officer for other municipalities and could issue citations for ordinance violations.

The minutes further reflect a discussion about how ordinance notices would be delivered. According to the official record, Supervisor Jay Fitch stated “a person in a uniform hand delivering a letter would be more eventful than a letter in the mail.”

The minutes indicate Young agreed and stated he could patrol the township and issue citations for ordinance violations. Township supervisors subsequently voted to hire Young to perform ordinance enforcement work for Sheffield Township.

Is the purpose of an ordinance violation delivery to be “eventful” or should it be to simply address the issue and get it fixed?

According to Randy Rossey, Director of Codes, Planning, and Zoning for the City of Warren, enforcement officers in nearby Warren do not wear uniforms. The typical attire worn is a polo shirt and pants. They do not wear Kevlar vests or carry a firearm. Instead of seeing a badge, you will probably be handed a business card.

When first investigating a complaint, they will attempt to make contact with the homeowner. If no one is home, they will leave a door hanger explaining the situation.

“It is all about work ability and allowing the property owner time to correct the situation. Also providing clear expectations and offering suggestions on how to achieve them,” Rossey wrote to me in an email.

“The Codes official doesn’t want to issue a ticket or a fine. What they are looking for is compliance. The money spent paying the ticket or the fine, would be better used correcting the situation,” he continued.

Citations in Warren are sent to homeowners via first class and registered mail, not hand delivered.

According to her court filing, Grubbs was dealing with property maintenance citations involving family property on Cottage Avenue when Young approached her about transferring ownership of the property. Grubbs alleges that Young offered to withdraw citations and allow her mother to continue living on the property if ownership was transferred to him.

In the filing, Grubbs states she felt “intimidated, anxious, and afraid.” She alleges that concerns about fines and legal consequences influenced her decision-making.

Grubbs further states that previous enforcement actions involving her father affected how she viewed the situation. According to the filing, she wrote, “That memory was traumatizing and makes me feel anxious to this day.”

The filing also includes the statement, “I only signed over the property because I felt threatened and didn’t want to be fined or put in jail like my dad.”

Grubbs alleges Young approached her while dressed as a state constable and discussed transferring the property. She further alleges she agreed because she believed doing so would prevent additional problems involving the property and allow her mother to remain in her home.

The court filings also raise questions about how deed documents were executed. Grubbs alleges that Sheffield Township Secretary and notary Kristi Kulka instructed her to sign not only her own name, but also the names of her husband and mother on deed documents. Grubbs states she believed the instructions were proper because they came from a township official and notary.

Grubbs further alleges she later learned concerns had been raised regarding the deed and maintains throughout her filing that she did not knowingly commit forgery.

Property assessment records attached to the filings identify multiple Cottage Avenue parcels involved in the dispute. Grubbs alleges Young obtained ownership of the property without compensating her for it.

The lawsuit remains pending. The court has not ruled on the allegations, and all claims made by the parties remain subject to further proceedings and judicial review.

The case involves questions concerning the transfer of the property, the execution of deed documents, and the allegations made by the parties regarding the events that led to the change in ownership.

I sent an email to Sheffield Township asking for comment for this story and received this response back from Cara Schrader, current Secretary/Treasurer for Sheffield Township.

“The current Board of Supervisors and myself were not in office at the time of this situation and therefore have no insight or comments to share,” she said.

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