HERMITAGE Man seeks to recoup money spent in lawsuit

The legal battle started in 2000.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Raymond Stacey is confident that his legal battles against the city of Hermitage and others are looking up in the new year.
The Niles man filed a petition last week in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to recoup $51,082.37 he has spent on his most recent court appeal, which was considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In October, the court remanded his case back to the lower court, which had ruled against Stacey, and ordered that he be repaid his court costs.
The Supreme Court vacated an earlier decision handed down by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which dismissed most of the defendants.
That court will have to look at Stacey's case again.
Stacey's attorney, Janice Haagensen of Enon Valley, said the costs he was awarded through his appeal to the Supreme Court will be paid for by the numerous defendants, which include the city of Hermitage, and attorneys who previously represented Stacey.
History of the case
Stacey has been waging his legal battle since 2000 after the city demolished his parent's home at 1560 E. State St. City officials declared the structure unfit and ordered Stacey's parents, Helen and Andrew, to vacate it after a rainstorm washed out part of their basement June 30, 1997.
The parents have since died. Stacey filed a lawsuit contending that there were numerous civil rights violations and that irreplaceable family items were demolished with the house. He is seeking $2 million in the lawsuit.
When Raymond Stacey took up his parents' legal battle, he filed many court documents on his own until he was forced to find an attorney last March.
Stacey initially hired ex-Youngstown attorney Mark Colucci before Colucci was convicted of tax evasion. Court papers said Stacey paid Colucci $7,500.
Stacey also is seeking more than $39,000 in costs he incurred from Haagensen's legal defense and other costs such as travel, copies and other things. These costs are related to the appeal Stacey filed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Haagensen said that the defendants could challenge Stacey's request for his costs, but that she feels certain Stacey will win in that matter.
It's unclear when the 3rd Circuit Court will take up Stacey's case again, Haagensen said.
cioffi@vindy.com