Piscataway Fire Chief Who Admitted Vandalizing Neighbor's Car Now Sued

PISCATAWAY, NJ — A volunteer Piscataway fire chief who admitted dumping buckets of rocks, water and mud into his neighbor's rare sports car last May has now been sued for causing damage to the vehicle.

Volunteer firefighter Josh Scolnick was sued by the neighbor, Mark Bahna, this week. Scolnick is fire chief of Arbor Hose Company No. 1, on West 7th Street in Piscataway.

Last May, this video from NJ.com shared to YouTube shows a man, allegedly Scolnick, pouring a bucket full of rock, gravel and dirt onto the rare sports car, which is from Japan.

Bahna runs a wrestling business next door to the firehouse. Bahna previously told Patch he and the firefighters were having a dispute over who is supposed to drain rainwater between the two properties.

Bahna said he entered his wrestling business one Monday morning and noticed damage to his sports car, which he parks behind his building. He reviewed his security cameras and was "stunned" to see someone, who he said he immediately recognized as Scolnick, pouring a bucket of mud, dirt and rocks onto the car.

"This stuff sat in my car from Saturday to Monday," Bahna told Patch last year. "Some of the water got into my car, too because of the way he threw the muck and mud. The buckets were really heavy with stuff, at least 40 pounds."

Scolnick was charged with third-degree criminal mischief. In November, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and was ordered to pay $7,973 in restitution, according to MyCentralJersey.com.

Bahna said that is not enough: He is suing because he wants the Piscataway Fire Department and town of Piscataway to reimburse him for the damage. He told News 12 the car is one of only 30 built in the world and is valued at half a million dollars.

However, Arbor Hose Company is overseen by its commissioners, not the town of Piscataway. As such, Piscataway Township instructed Bahna’s attorney to remove the town from the lawsuit.

"As of Friday, Piscataway Township has not yet been served, but when it is, the Township will make an immediate motion to remove the Township as a defendant," said a Piscataway Twp. spokesman March 31.

Original Patch report: Piscataway Fire Chief Charged With Criminal Mischief (May 2024)