Attorney: Stocki scrapyard substantially in compliance with court order
Jun. 15—An Old Forge scrapyard owner whose business has been at odds with the borough for years is in substantial compliance with a Lackawanna County Court order to remove nonworking equipment from his property, his attorney said.
Walter Stocki Jr. and his company, Scrap Enterprises, faced a Tuesday deadline to rid the site at Rear 105 N. Keyser Ave. of all nonoperational equipment, vehicles and machinery under an April 22 order issued by Judge Thomas Munley.
Although it is a monumental task, Stocki has been working to clean up the site and is "substantially in compliance" with the court directive, attorney Edmund Scacchitti said.
Whether someone else would agree the businessman is in compliance "is something for another day and maybe another court hearing," the attorney said.
"But I'm pretty comfortable with what he is trying to do there," Scacchitti said. "It's just a question of whether the borough is comfortable with it."
Stocki and the borough have been locked in a dispute over the operation of Scrap Enterprises since 2017. Old Forge officials contend the business is an illegal junkyard in violation of the borough zoning ordinance.
In his April 22 opinion and order, Munley held Stocki in contempt for defying two previous court orders to clean up the property and to comply with borough ordinances.
Tuesday's deadline was the first of two contained in the judge's most recent order. The next one is June 30, when Stocki must bring the property into full compliance with the zoning ordinance.
Stocki said Tuesday he believes his business is in compliance but questioned whether the borough would ever concede that.
"There are numerous other businesses who are allowed to operate however they feel ... but I am the only target on their list," he said.
It was unclear what the borough's next step will be. Attempts to reach Old Forge solicitor William Rinaldi were unsuccessful.
An appeal Stocki filed last month of Munley's April 22 order is pending before state Superior Court.
Joseph Kohut, staff writer, contributed to this story.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132
