MEXICO — A house and attached barn at 9 Oxford St. will be demolished, the Select Board decided Tuesday, after months of trying to work with homeowner Norman “Bo” Thompson.

Town attorney Jennifer Kreckel led a three-hour public hearing on Thompson’s condemned buildings at the Town Office and included Thompson, who attended virtually from the Oxford County Jail in Paris.

Thompson said he will appeal the Select Board’s decision.

Kreckel presented 57 exhibits, of which Thompson had a copy, to demonstrate that the home was not up to code, including no working toilet or shower, broken pipes, garbage throughout the house, as well as reports of people and rodents going into the home at will.

One of the town’s complaints was that Thompson would not allow his home to be inspected.

When Select Board Chairman Richie Philbrick asked Thompson why he did not let Code Enforcement Officer Mathew Theriault into the home to inspect it in June, Thompson said “personal reasons.” He added that he had a friend there and was afraid Theriault would say something that would embarrass Thompson in front of his friend.

Theriault said there was no water, sewer and electricity for the building at that time.

Another of the town’s complaints was that a “keep out” sign that had been posted on the house was removed at some point.

Select Board member TJ Williams showed a picture of a red sign posted on a boarded-up door on Thompson’s residence, with a notice that said “condemned, as dangerous and unsafe. Danger, keep out.”

Philbrick asked Thompson, “Did you take the condemned sign off the building?”

Thompson responded, “No, I did not.”

The sign, as well as a second one on the other side of the building, also told people to keep out as long as the notice remains posted. “Any person willingly mutilating or destroying this card will be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” it said.

Williams said the card was signed by Theriault and Health Officer David Saphier, with the date of when the building was originally condemned.

“That posting has since been taken down and you have entered the premises,” Williams said to Thompson.

Neighbor Sandra Savage, who lives across from 9 Oxford St., told Kreckel that she has a good view of Thompson’s house and saw Thompson remove the red sign, along with a taller man.

Thompson argued that it was not him removing the sign because it is higher than he could reach. “I’m 5 foot 2,” he said.

Savage’s son, Gary Savage, said his mother’s concerns included seeing people crawl through windows, doing drugs, a woman leaving the building screaming early one morning, junk accumulation, and numerous incidents with police over the past couple of weeks.

“In the testimony today, we have learned that the sign of condemnation of this property was removed,” Williams said. “We have had timelines set up for inspections which have been denied by the homeowner to be let in to see progress made. Although the homeowner has explained that progress has been made in the home, we are unable to attest to any progress made because of his denial of entry into the home to see that.

“We have images that suggest that maybe some work has been done,” he added, “however, does it meet any improvement to take us out of the (category) of being a nuisance or dangerous? I don’t think it does.”

Williams made a motion to demolish the building and it passed by 5-0 vote.

“I believe, Mr. Thompson, in my heart of hearts, you have done what you can,” he said. “But at this time, I believe, according to the standards and statutes, I move that we adjudge this building as a nuisance and/or dangerous.”

Kreckel was told to write the order, to be recorded with the municipal clerk with the Oxford County Register of Deeds.

Kreckel said Thompson will be served with a notice of the decision by the town, at which time Thompson will have 30 days to appeal the decision with Superior Court, which he indicated he would.

After the 30 days, the town can remove the dwelling, Kreckel said.

Thompson will remain the owner of the property.

Conflicting views of 9 Oxford St.

Theriault said when he visited 9 Oxford St. on Sept. 11 he observed that nothing had changed. He said the town valued the building at $21,300, but it would have been $40,000 if it was in good shape. He estimated the cost to rehabilitate would be more than $100,000.

“My recommendation to the Select Board is to have the building demolished,” Theriault said.

Town Health Officer Saphier testified that when he visited 9 Oxford St. in November 2024 with Theriault, he found garbage throughout the house and broken pipes, adding that it was “not suitable for human habitation.”

Thompson testified that the house is mostly clean now, with all new piping upstairs, a new roof, a furnace installed in 2012, a new toilet, and windows and new steps that haven’t been put in yet. He said he’s been living there since 2006 after his mother died.

“The house was in disarray when I got out of prison,” he said. “I’m trying to do a lot of this stuff myself. It takes time,” he said. “Having my house torn down is a little radical.”

Thompson acknowledged that he was not in his home at all during the winter of 2024-25, that he was either in jail or in a rehabilitation program. In addition, during that time he was not paying for any heat or oil for his residence.

However, he denied that he hadn’t tried to contact Theriault, the code enforcement officer, to have him inspect the house. Thompson said at one time Theriault was away on vacation when he tried to contact him. He said he was difficult to reach.

He earlier testified that one time when Theriault came to his residence for an inspection, he refused to allow him to enter.

Kreckel asked Thompson if Theriault requested to be contacted by him if any improvements were made in the house, dealing with water, electricity or any other repairs. Thompson said he was waiting to finish those improvements before asking for an inspection.

Kreckel asked Thompson if he was aware that he was under scrutiny with the town of Mexico because the house was deemed not fit for human habitation. “Mr. Theriault came to your property several times and talked to you about that. Isn’t that true?”

Thompson responded, “I was not aware it was under scrutiny.”

She asked again, “Mr. Thompson, did Mr. Theriault get in touch with you to tell you there were problems with your house?”

Thompson said yes.

“So you knew there were problems with your house. You knew the town of Mexico was concerned about the safety of your house,” Kreckel said. “You had numerous complaints with the town of Mexico. That was expressed by Mr. Theriault, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” said Thompson.

Despite a court order, Kreckel said, Thompson did not do any cleanup around the house so the town of Mexico did the cleanup.

Thompson denied that was true and that he had tried to do some of the cleanup.

“Stuff I’ve done in the house, if only I could take you in there, to see how much more I’ve done,” Thompson told the Select Board.