Couple sues over home addition built by neighbor

GIRARD -- A Girard couple has filed a $600,000 lawsuit against a neighbor for building an addition that is allegedly too close to their house, and against the city for allowing it.
The suit was filed in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court by James Sipusic and his wife, Brenda Kovach, 1608 Oak St., against Robert Racick, 1639 Greenwood Ave., and the city.
The suit, filed by Atty. Marc Dann, contends that the city issued Racick a permit to build an addition less than 10 feet from the Sipusic-Kovach rear property line, a violation of the city zoning code.
According to Dann, the city said it issued the permit to Racick because the addition is a covered porch rather than a structure.
Dann said Sipusic and Kovach repeatedly asked the city to issue a citation to Racick, who built the structure in January.
The suit also contends that the structure's downspouts drain onto the Sipusic-Kovach property.
The couple is seeking $100,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages.