Select Board agrees to abate trailer taxes; owner must pay water and sewer before taking possession

Buddy Boudle told the Colebrook Select Board on Jan. 12 that he had evicted tenant Norman Deline from a trailer in Boudle’s Trailer Park after eviction efforts he said cost about $4,000 and that Deline had damaged the unit and filled it with refuse. "The trailer is completely full of garbage and Norman broke the windows and put a hole in the roof so that Buddy could not sell the trailer," Boudle said.

Selectboard members said taking possession of a trailer can require clearing liens and paying outstanding utility bills. Town Manager Tim Stevens explained that water and sewer are an enterprise fund and therefore must be paid. The board agreed to abate the 2023, 2024 and 2025 property taxes (with interest) and water & sewer interest for that parcel, while requiring Boudle to pay the water and sewer bills and to sign an agreement to remove the trailer. Tim Stevens will draft the agreement.

Boudle told the board he had given the tenant $250 toward a promised $500 payment to sign a deed, and that he would not pay the remainder until he obtained the signed deed. Selectboard member Sue Collins noted there are "three years’ worth of liens on the property," which complicates transfer of title. The board advised Boudle to work with the town manager for next steps.

The board also discussed an apparent plumbing-valve problem at the park: Boudle said a shutoff may have been installed backward so water ran into the ground; the town water department advised him the valve might be reversed and that he turned the water back on to stop the leak. The board recorded no further action beyond the abatement decision, the removal agreement to be prepared by the town manager, and coordination with town staff.