LISBON — A South Market Street homeowner and the village of East Palestine reached an agreement recently, with the orders of condemnation and demolition of the property withdrawn.

The judgment entry signed by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton said no further action shall be taken by the village or its agents regarding the house at 101 S. Market St., East Palestine.

Property owner John Holman had filed the court action last July to challenge the decision by the East Palestine Zoning Board of Appeals on June 26, 2025 to demolish the property. He claimed the decision was in error and must be reversed, saying it’s not supported by reliable, probative and substantial evidence in the record, it’s contrary to law and violates Holman’s due process rights.

At the time, Bickerton had signed an agreed judgment entry to stop the demolition and grant the owner access to get inside, granting Holman’s motion to stay that was filed at the same time as the appeal of the zoning board decision.

In the motion to stay, Holman argued that the notice to the homeowner was deficient in that it “failed to provide notice to the homeowner of the reasoning for the condemnation or any steps to be taken to dispute that the property was being condemned. That notice only indicated that the utilities had been turned off and there was no access allowed to the property.”

Also noted was that this residence was Holman’s boyhood home and was “filled with furnishings, memorabilia, photographs and a lifetime of memories which cannot be replaced in the event of demolition. Plaintiff continues to pay the mortgage on the property as well as the real estate taxes.”

The latest ruling by Bickerton said the property shall be determined habitable through an inspection.

mgreier@mojonews.com