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Selectmen table blight fines for 11 William Lane after owner says she was overseas; officer to verify legal notice
Summary
At a hearing on blight citations for 11 William Lane, the property owner, identified in town records as Wanda Perez, said she was overseas caring for a deployed son and only learned of the first citation in August; the board voted to table the matter so the blight officer can verify whether certified notices reached the owner.
The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday heard testimony from town blight-enforcement officer John McKenzie and from the property owner associated in town records with 11 William Lane, identified as Wanda Perez, about two enforcement actions at the address.
McKenzie said the first enforcement action covered a woodpile and accrued civil penalties beginning Feb. 21, 2025, with an order initiated Jan. 8, 2025. A second blight order opened July 16, 2025, for overgrowth, uncontained garbage and multiple unregistered vehicles; McKenzie said the second order’s civil penalties ran from Aug. 22 to Sept. 25, a span he calculated as 35 days.
Perez told the board she left the country to care for a son deployed in Germany and only became aware of the enforcement process in mid-August, after a third-party contractor inquired about a building permit. She said she cleaned the property, rented dumpsters and worked to correct the conditions once she returned, and asked the board to waive or reduce fines because she had not received personal, certified notice while she was abroad.
Several selectmen questioned the delivery addresses used for certified mail and whether the town had correct contact information. McKenzie said the town uses the addresses on file across departments (GIS, town clerk, tax records) and that certified mail return receipts had come back unclaimed; he also noted he reissued an electronic copy of the first reissued order by email but had no confirmed phone number prior to August.
Members said the key issue is whether proper legal notice reached the owner. One selectman said if the town’s processes were followed the first citation likely stands; another said the second violation was a different matter because the owner had been back in town and had opportunities to remedy it. McKenzie said he would investigate further and produce an updated memo by Tuesday.
The board voted to table the matter to allow McKenzie to verify mailing and notice details and to gather additional evidence before imposing or adjusting fines. The chair announced the motion carried and the matter will return to the board after the town’s follow-up.
