CANTON − Owners of the famed Timken Stables building have lost another legal round over the deteriorating condition of the historic property.
The 5th District Court of Appeals in Canton rejected an appeal filed the Beit HaKavod Messianic Synagogue . The faith-based group has been in a protracted legal battle with the city over the building at 2317 13th St. NW.
In March 2023, city officials sued congregation leader, Rabbi Mark Lancaster, who bought the building at an auction in 2013. The complaint accuses Lancaster of failing to make safety-related repairs , which have been estimated at $4 million. The lawsuit asked a judge to force Lancaster to make the fixes within 30 days or sell the building, prompting church officials to eventually appeal to a higher court.
The 5th District Court recently ruled the decision made in Stark County Common Pleas Court was legally sound in siding with the city and concluding that Beit HaKavod did not meet its burden that it would likely prevail in court.