Warren developer sues Hubbard contractor for $51,760 related to project

Staff report

WARREN

Downtown Development Group, developer of the Robins Theater renovation and many other downtown projects, has sued Ro-Ma Contracting of Youngstown-Hubbard Road in Hubbard for more than $50,000.

The suit says Ro-Ma failed to pay three subcontractors for work and materials associated with the renovation of the Mahoning Building.

A call to Ro-Ma on Friday by The Vindicator seeking comment was not returned.

DDG, owned by Mark Marvin, hired Ro-Ma to renovate the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the Mahoning Building at the corner of Main Avenue and West Market Street on Courthouse Square in 2016, the suit says. The work was substantially complete by about Nov. 10, 2017.

But three subcontractors working for Ro-Ma – Thompson Mechanical Inc, CR Electric Inc. and Komar Anchor Plumbing – say Ro-Ma failed to pay them a combined $56,760 for work and materials they provided.

DDG paid each of the subcontractors all or a part of the allegedly owed amounts to ensure all of the subcontractors were paid in part or in full, the suit says.

This also was done to prevent the subcontractor from filing a mechanic lien on the DDG project or to secure a release of a mechanic lien already filed, the suit says.

The three subcontractors assigned all rights they had against Ro-Ma to DDG.

Consequently, DDG filed the lawsuit May 30 to secure repayment of the $51,760 DDG paid to the subcontractors plus interest. The suit was filed in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court by Atty. Edward C. Lanter of Cincinnati.