The foreclosure case against the owner of Tim’s Tavern has progressed, with court records showing all defendants have now been formally served with the lawsuit. For the defendants, it’s a race against the clock to sell the property or otherwise pay it off. Read more below.
Steppach was arrested Jan. 25, 2024, and later charged with sexual assault on multiple minor female employees as young as age 14. In November 2025, Steppach pleaded no contest to three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor in the Second Degree. The court sentenced him to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, court costs, no unsupervised contact with anyone under age 18, and no contact with the victims.
New filings in Saline County Circuit Court indicate that summonses were delivered to three entities: Timothy Andrew Steppach, Tim Steppach LLC, and Debra Katlyn Roberts, between March 20 and March 23, 2026. Service of these documents officially notifies the defendants of the lawsuit filed by Centennial Bank and starts the timeline for a legal response.
According to the court documents, Steppach was served on March 22 at a Benton address, the LLC was served March 23 through its registered agent, and Roberts was served March 20 in Benton. A Saline County Sheriff’s deputy completed each service.
A summons is a procedural step in a lawsuit and does not determine the outcome of the case. However, it requires defendants to respond within 30 days of being served, or potentially face a default judgment in favor of the plaintiff.
As previously reported, Centennial Bank filed the foreclosure lawsuit on March 5, 2026, seeking repayment of a commercial loan tied to the Tim’s Tavern property at 1209 Edison Avenue in Benton. The complaint alleges more than $42,000 remains unpaid, along with interest and additional charges.
The latest filings confirm the case is actively moving forward through the court system. The next phase will depend on whether the defendants file a response within the required timeframe.
The documents also include standard notice language informing the parties they may consent to have the case handled by a state district court judge instead of a circuit judge, though that decision is optional.
As of this update, the case remains pending, and no ruling has been issued.
Meanwhile, it appears the owners are attempting to sell the property. The county records show that Steppach purchased the land and building in 2022 for $200,000. The owners are now asking $475,000.
March 10, 2026 update: Legal documents filed March 5, 2026, in Saline County Circuit Court show that Centennial Bank is seeking repayment of a commercial loan tied to property at 1209 Edison Avenue in Benton.
Steppach was arrested Jan. 25, 2024, and later charged with sexual assault on female employees as young as age 14. In November 2025, Steppach pleaded no contest to three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor in the Second Degree.
The court sentenced him to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, court costs, no unsupervised contact with anyone under age 18, and no contact with the victims.
The complaint names Tim Steppach LLC, Timothy A. Steppach, age 48, and his ex-wife, Debra Katlyn Roberts, age 25 as defendants in the foreclosure case. According to the filing, the loan was issued on Oct. 19, 2022, for $97,000 through Centennial Bank, with the Tim’s Tavern restaurant property as collateral for the loan.
According to the lawsuit, the terms of the agreement were changed on Oct. 25, 2025, extending the maturity date of the loan to Jan. 18, 2026.
The filing states the loan reached maturity on that date and was not paid in full.
As of Feb. 19, 2026, the complaint alleges the defendants owed $42,135.25 in principal, $380.39 in accrued interest, Interest continuing at $7.61 per day, and $644.34 in additional loan charges.
The lawsuit states that Steppach and Roberts signed commercial guarantees on the loan, making them jointly and severally liable for repayment. This means both parties are responsible, although they are now divorced.
Centennial Bank is asking the court to enter judgment for the amount owed and, if the debt is not paid, authorize foreclosure and sale of the property at public auction at the Saline County Courthouse.
The filing also asks the court to appoint a receiver to manage the property during the legal process.
As of this writing, the case remains pending in Saline County Circuit Court. The court has not yet ruled on the bank’s request for foreclosure.
MySaline will continue to follow the case and provide updates.
Read about the previous Tim Steppach case at www.mysaline.com/tim-steppach-arrest. and www.mysaline.com/tim-steppach-court.
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