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Judge to render decision in civil case against monks
By Elise Franco
Canfield
The fate of a group of local monks is in the hands of a judge.
The group, operating the Monastery Inn, 7815 Akron-Canfield Road, and motel owner Arthur Klein appeared Friday before Judge Scott Hunter of Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield to discuss a pending civil case against the monks.
Klein filed a civil complaint and notice of eviction July 7 against the group, saying it is in breach of the land-installment contract signed in November 2009.
The complaint alleges that since that time, the group has failed to uphold the contract and owes Klein more than $40,000 in back payments on the contract, property taxes and insurance costs.
Bishop Timothy Kjera said he knows the group is backed up on payments, but it’s not nearly as much as Klein claims.
He said Klein met with the monks several times, where they entered into verbal agreements to lower the amount paid.
“According to this verbal agreement, we are behind some, but not the amount stated,” Kjera said. “He’s known our financial status from the beginning, and up until three or four months ago, he was begging us to stay.”
Klein, represented by Atty. Duane Doyle of Twinsburg, said he did have conversations with the monks about payments, but no written or verbal agreements were made.
“We had get-togethers, but we didn’t decide anything. They were actually worthless,” he said.
In early 2010, Klein, 69, was ordered by Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to cease operations at the motel in Canfield Township as well as at the El Patio Motel, 485 W. Main St., Canfield, due to his involvement in a prostitution ring there in 2009.
He pleaded guilty in January 2010 to promoting prostitution and was sentenced to two years’ probation.
Klein said he can’t afford to lose any more money on the property.
“We talked about it many times, but I still have a first mortgage on that property,” he said. “I can’t pay my bills if you don’t pay me. I’ve got to get somebody in there who will pay.”
Judge Hunter said he will take the testimony under advisement and render a written decision soon.
Metropolitan Stephen Thomas said his concern is not only for him and his fellow monks, but for the 24 other people living at the inn.
Thomas said if Judge Hunter rules in Klein’s favor, those people will be on the street.
“He’s going to leave us all in a serious problem,” Thomas said. “I have a young woman there right now with two small children, and there’s no place else this woman can go.”