The Moretown Select Board extended the deadline for a Moretown Commons tenant to address a public health issue at his rental unit.
A the Monday, November 18, select board meeting, board members and members of the Moretown Commons Homeowners Association and Ray Munn, a friend of the tenant in question, were present to talk about the problem. Donna Stackhouse from the association and Sean Sullivan, the treasurer of Commons Association, were present.
The select board extended the deadline for the tenant to clean up trash, food debris and animal feces in and around his unit from December 16 to December 31, 2019. The board and associations members discussed how the unit is affecting the neighboring tenants, and the overall apartment building. Ray Munn, a concerned friend of the tenant, spoke of the steps being taken to clean up the apartment.
OTHER SAFETY CONCERNS
During the meeting, the board heard that the tenant has had other public safety concerns levied against him in the past, including fines. Board members were told that he is living in a dangerous situation with trash and food debris and that he collects trash, such as discarded and rotten food as well as animal feces, and keeps them in the apartment. Sullivan says that the apartment is so bad, that there are maggots in the ceiling and floor.
“The ceilings and the floors need to be replaced. Maggots have fallen through the cracks. It is disgusting beyond comprehension. I think it is inappropriate for someone to clean the place without a full suit … this gentlemen calls us, uses vile language and threatens Angela, the president of the association. We want him to get help. He’s mentally ill,” said Sullivan.
Munn said that he is in the process of cleaning the apartment with contracted help. The carpet needs to be torn up. The appliances need to be taken out and all of the debris from the apartment needs to be cleaned, Munn said.
Munn said covering the costs of the clean up and dumpster would be hard for the tenant or him to pay. There had been disputes between Munn and the association in the past about renting a dumpster including concerns with who would pay for it, and that it would take up parking spaces for other tenants. Munn said that he is looking into getting help from the Mad River Valley Community Fund to meet the deadline to clean the space out.
“There’s no way that the place is gonna be livable by December 16.. It’s gonna be about $2,000 to get that place cleaned up. There’s just no way we can come up with that money,” said Munn.
There are two deadlines facing the tenant. He has until December 2, 2019, to remove all garbage and rotting material, including all foods that are no longer edible, trash and other items from the unit and properly dispose of the materials. Additionally, by December 31, Munn and the tenant are tasked with thoroughly cleaning the unit including counters, floors, carpeting and bathrooms.
“He needs psychological evaluation. He has a serious mental illness. He is not simply a hoarder; he is a hoarder of garbage, of animal feces and rotten food,” said Sullivan.
