Our Voice : Citizens For a Better Lebanon Maine

I have another story to tell you.  This is regarding  fire regulations and laws.  I hope  that, after reading this,  someone might enlighten us as to what  we can do. 

Moving to Maine has been an experience in itself.  I have met some truly interesting  people, and some  not so ethical people also.   Of course there are many unethical people everywhere,  so its not unusual to find them here.  I have also met some wonderful and caring people in this community, but  let me get started.

You may know what we have been through for the past several years.  There is one part of that story which has to do with fire hazard regulations.   At the bottom of our driveway, close to the road, there is a wall.  From the road, it looks like someone piled all the trash  from his yard there.  When you pull into our driveway you  see a 9 foot,  at its tallest peak, and 5 foot, at its lowest peak stump wall.  Yes,  I said stump wall.  It has been there since 2006.  This stump wall consists of debris  that was pulled up by our  neighbor,  and put there as if to hide  a  right of way that no longer exists.

According to documents and town records, we own  15 + or - acres of land.    Our neighbor’s family owns 3,000 acres, up to our southern boundary.  I am wondering why he had to put his stump wall where he did?  We called the Conservation Department. Claudette DeSautelles  came down to inspect the wall, and said there was no violation there,  only that our neighbor  had to move the wall  several feet  from our boundary line.  Of course there is a problem, no one knows exactly where  our boundary lines are, not even the three surveyors who surveyed our property…………   Oh yes, Ms. DeSautelles  said that in the 17oo’s they built fences out of anything they could find.  Well guess what,  this is the 21st century.

Anyway,  we feel that this “stump wall”  is a fire hazard, and an ugly mess.  It is dry wood that has been there for several years and if someone were to flick a cigarette out a window, it would definitely start a fire.  Fire rises, and guess what, we live uphill through the woods from this eye sore.

Please know that we are only asking if someone out there has any suggestions as to what we should do.  We have tried just about everything.  It is very frusturating when you know full well  that this wall was made out of spite and sheer vindictivness.  Maybe removing it will go along way to better things in our neighborhood for everyone?