NORWAY — Town officials seeking to prevent unsafe apartment units at 168 Main St. from being rented said Thursday they will file for an injunction in Oxford County Superior Court as early as Friday, Nov. 2.

The injunction would prevent owner Patrick McInnis,70, from renting the spaces until they pass inspection.

Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey-Whitman told the Board of Selectmen at its Thursday night meeting that she and attorney Geoffrey H. Hole of Bernstein Shur in Portland have been working for the past two weeks to prepare the documentation for the filing to evict the remaining tenants in the four-unit house.

“The tenants need to be safe,” Corey-Whitman said. She has cited McInnis for numerous violations, some of which were fixed and others such as electrical, which were not. McInnis lives in the building.

The effort to remove the tenants from the building, which has been slated for condemnation, has been weeks in coming while town officials worked with the attorney to ensure everything was done correctly.

Corey-Whitman, who is inspecting each rental unit in town, said, “There will be more condemnations.”

Town Manager David Holt said after the meeting that he is not sure yet what financial responsibility, if any, the town will have for the evicted tenants.

Corey-Whitman said that because of this process, it is clear now that some things, such as who is responsible for paying attorney fees, will have to be updated in the town’s rental ordinance to ensure that future action against landlords goes smoothly.

On Sept. 4, selectmen agreed to hold off on a vote to condemn the property after Corey-Whitman said she was hopeful the owner would make all the repairs in short order. But when she returned for a site inspection, she said there remained too many safety issues to allow the tenants and owner to remain there.

There were major electrical deficiencies, including smoke detectors hardwired together, switches not grounded, some wires seared and materials in the basement that prevented easy access to problem electrical boxes.

The board also agreed to look into providing more hours in Norway within the existing budget for Corey-Whitman, who also works part-time for the towns of Greenwood and Woodstock, and to address the need for an electrical inspector.

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