The city of Westbrook filed a lien against the owner of a new indoor farm over $44,732 in unpaid taxes.

The farm at 5 Vertical Way in downtown Westbrook recently began growing leafy green veggies but isn’t running up to full capacity as yet, according to the company’s CEO. The lien was filed July 21 in Cumberland County Registry of Deeds.

Westbrook’s Deputy Director of Economic and Community Development Monique Cornett said in an email that the lien was “triggered by the missed payment of $44,694.03, which was the final installment of last year’s real estate tax schedule.”

City Tax Collector Dena Lebeda said the lien total amount includes fees of $52.64; principal, $43,992.98; and interest, $686.41. Cornett said as of Oct. 1 the bill associated with this lien had risen to $45,469.67.

Nona Yehia, co-founder and CEO of Wyoming-based Vertical Harvest, said in an email Oct. 2 that the company is working with the city to resolve the matter.

“This is a normal course item for a startup at our stage, and we are confident it will be resolved promptly,” Yehia said.

Vertical Harvest has about two years to pay up before the city would take ownership of the property, according to Westbrook City Administrator Jerre Bryant.

“From the date of filing the lien, there is a period of 18 months until the lien matures,” Bryant said. “At that point (if the taxes are still not paid) there are additional notice and processing requirements that must be completed.”

Cornett said the Vertical Harvest tax lien was one of more than 200 filed seeking overdue taxes from city property owners.

It’s not the first time Vertical Harvest has been hit with a lien. A South Portland energy consultant filed a $180,000 mechanic’s lien for labor and services in October 2023, but the lien was discharged in January 2024, according to the Registry of Deeds.

In her email last week, Yehia said its Westbrook facility is not operating at full capacity yet. “However, we are several steps along the way … fully commissioned, producing, onboarding staff and preparing for commercial sales,” Yehia said.

She expects the Westbrook plant’s first sales later this fall. According to its website, the company expects to annually grow 3 million pounds of leafy greens in Westbrook. Vertical Harvest also has a facility in Jackson, Wyoming.