Woolwich selectmen on Monday voted unanimously to give final notice to the owner of a dilapidated house to fix the structure or demolish it, or the town would be forced to tear it down.

The town has made multiple attempts to reach out to the property’s owner, Ruth A. Oliver, with no response, even though the letters appear to have been received and signed for.

Although taxes on the property have been paid in full, the house is falling apart, creating an eyesore for neighbors and a potential safety hazard.

“People down in the neighborhood have been dealing with this for 30 years,” said Chairman David King. “We owe it to the people in this neighborhood to clean this building up.” The yellow house on Old Arrowsic Road is in rough shape, with overgrown plants in the yard, broken windows and a roof that has sunken in. A short orange fence and several “no trespassing” signs serves to keep Woolwich residents away from the structure.

“On several occasions we’ve told Ruth that the building needs to be torn down, either by her or by the town,” said King. “That building is a dangerous building and a nuisance.”

During Monday’s public hearing, selectmen discussed what to do with the structure if the owner refused to take care of it, with some suggesting a controlled burn and others suggesting a more traditional demolition.

In a letter addressed to Oliver dated May 3, the town informed the owner that, “If the board of selectmen finds that the structure is dangerous or a nuisance, it may order … demolition and removal of the structure.” Later that day, the selectmen voted unanimously to send the property owner a letter, informing her that she had 30 days to take corrective action before the town acted.

If Oliver does not respond within that time frame, the town will demolish the structure at its own expense. The town can recoup its losses through a special tax or through civil action, the latter of which the selectmen considered at length, with Selectman Jason Shaw suggesting that the town consult an attorney — advice heeded by the other members.

“The town is going to take a hit on this,” said King. “I think at some point we need to bite the bullet.”

Shaw later noted that “the property has value.”

King acknowledged that “the town will get its money back eventually.”

“This is the first time the town has had to take these measures in my time as code enforcement officer,” said Bruce Engert, who has been Woolwich’s code enforcement officer since the mid-2000s.

Selectmen also conducted regular business during the meeting, including several appointments for town offices: Julie Gillespie as EMS director, Michael Demers as fire chief, and Dickey Brigance as Emergency Management Agency director. All three appointments were accepted unanimously with terms expiring on June 30, 2019.

nstrout@timesrecord.com