HUBBARD Landfill officials to face lawsuits on two fronts

Another lawsuit claims the men committed fraud.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- The officers of a company that wants to operate a controversial landfill in Hubbard Township are fighting lawsuits on two fronts.
A civil trial is scheduled for March 22 in the courtroom of Judge John M. Stuard of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Frederick V. Hudach of Hubbard Township and Robert A. Frank of Camp Hill, Pa.
A second suit filed against the two men in November alleges they committed fraud.
Hudach and Frank are officers in Trans Rail America Inc. that is proposing to use land on Mount Everett Road to operate a landfill in which construction and demolition material would be dumped. Township trustees and residents oppose the venture.
Complaint
The complaint was filed Oct. 13, 2002, by Attila Tokodi, a businessman from Sheffield Lake in Lorain County west of Cleveland.
The complaint names Hudach and Frank, along with their company, Evanel Consultants. Tokodi is seeking in excess of $25,000 for reported breach of contract.
Hudach could not be reached to comment. Frank said the case is without merit.
The complaint says Tokodi had been trying since 1999 to buy Trumbull County land to operate a landfill. Tokodi approached Hudach to prepare a business plan so he could ultimately purchase land in Fowler Township owned by Mary Kish. The Fowler property is a closed dump.
Tokodi then met with Hudach and Frank in early 2002 to use their company, Evanel, to purchase the Kish property or another site.
Tokodi said that he also paid Hudach, Frank and Evanel an unspecified amount of money to research alternative sites in Fostoria and Hubbard Township for landfills.
Breached contract?
Tokodi alleges that Hudach and Frank breached their verbal contract with him by proceeding without him to purchase the Kish property and/or Hubbard Township land.
Frank said Tokodi, an accountant, is "stone broke" and couldn't come up with any money to purchase acreage for a landfill. The project was simply too big for Tokodi, he added.
The complaint adds that Hudach and Frank also contacted Tokodi's financial consultants and investors, George L. Csatary and Judith O. Nagy, in contradiction of his agreements with Hudach and Frank.
In November, Csatary and Nagy filed a $650,000 lawsuit in common pleas court here against Hudach and Frank. Their complaint alleges that Hudach and Frank and their Trans Rail America Inc. committed fraud.
Csatary and Nagy, both of Cleveland, filed the lawsuit seeking $150,000 for nonpayment of a $130,000 loan plus interest and $500,000 in punitive damages.
Csatary and Nagy claim they raised the $130,000 from other investors in the landfill business.
What lawsuit says
Their lawsuit says Hudach and Frank used a portion of the $130,000 they received from Csatary and Nagy for unrelated business and the balance to purchase the Hubbard Township property.
This was done, they allege, after they were pushed out of companies formed to finance and operate the landfill.
Frank responded that neither Csatary nor Nagy were forced out of Eco-Waste Management Inc. and Financial Opportunities Inc., companies formed to generate revenue for the purchase of the Hubbard Township property and operate the landfill.
Frank said that Csatary remains a member of the board of directors of both companies and that Nagy voluntarily resigned her company positions.
Frank said that of the $130,000 loan, Csatary lent a friend $50,000 to $60,000 and Csatary kept $20,000 for himself.
The balance, or about $50,000, was used for expenses, such as advertising, Frank said.
yovich@vindy.com