Oxford reissues junkyard permits

OXFORD - Selectmen made it clear — they issue junkyard permits, but they are not a small claims court.

The issue was raised at the October 21 board of selectmen's meeting, which featured public hearings on junkyard permit renewal applications. Code Enforcement Officer Rodney Smith said he had visited all of the existing junkyards and found none out of compliance or refusing to comply with requirements. However, one junkyard abuttor, Lynn Cummings-Pike, was not pleased.

William Penfold's Oxford Auto Salvage, located at 117 Number Six Road, had been a junkyard for nearly 20 years when he bought it from its founder, Brad Hall, several years ago. At that time, Penfold offered to buy some additional property, adjacent to the yard. The acquisition included a wooded area in which derelict vehicles and other scrap metal had been placed. Although he had not purchased the land, as he was clearing his own property of such debris, he offered to clear out some of what was on Cummings-Pike's land. Since she was considering the sale, she allowed the clean-up.

However, before the job was complete, Cummings-Pike decided not to sell and Penfold stopped work on her side of the property line. Over the next few years, he said he had parked a few vehicles there, but that she had never commented.

On the day of the hearing, Penfold said, he was given a letter from Cummings-Pike demanding that he remove the vehicles and clean up the rest of the junk on her land.

"I'll have the vehicles out of there next week," Penfold told the selectboard, "but the other stuff was already there. It's not mine, it's hers — and it's her problem."

Cummings-Pike said she wanted the selectmen to refuse Penfold's license renewal, until he completely satisfied her demands.

"This sounds to me like a civil matter," said chairman Floyd Thayer. "You need to take it to court."

Selectmen Dennis Sanborn and Scott Owen agreed.

Owen pointed out that the board could make the license renewal contingent on Penfold's removal of the cars, and only the cars, from Cummings-Pike's land within 30 days.

"If you want anything more than that, you'll have to take it to court," Owen said.

A motion to issue Penfold's permit with the 30-day condition to remove the vehicles was passed, with Sanborn's the only negative vote.

"I say it's a civil matter and we have nothing to do with it," he said.

Renewal permits without conditions were issued to Pauline Ayotte, at 210 Tiger Hill Road,  David Witham, at 100 Fore Street, and the Varney Brothers, at 218 Coldwater Brook Road. No public comments were made about the other junkyards.

OXFORD - Selectmen made it clear - they issue junkyard permits, but they are not a small claims court.

The issuewas raised at the October 21 board of selectmen meeting, which featured public hearings on junkyard permit renewal applications. Code Enforcement Officer Rodney Smith said he had visited all of the existing junkyards and found none out of compliance or refusing to comply with requirements. However, one junkyard abutter, Lynn Cummings-Pike, was not pleased.

William Penfold's Oxford Auto Salvage, located at 117 Number Six Roadhad been a junkyard for nearly 20 years when he bought it from its founder, Brad Hall, several years ago. At that time, Penfold offered to buy some additional property, adjacent to the yard. The acquisition Would include a wooded area in which derelict vehicles and oither scrap metal had bee placed. Although he had not purchased the land, as he was clearing his own property of such debris, he offered to clear out some of what was on Cummings-Pike's land.