NORWAY – Selectmen have agreed to pay almost $11,000 for a Crockett Ridge home septic system repair, but the homeowner will have to pay it back.

In a decision by selectmen at their Dec. 6 meeting, the board agreed unanimously to pay the $10,900 septic system replacement cost, based on an earlier bid by Hadley’s Excavation of West Paris, then lien the property over a 10-year period for the cost. The alternative was to condemn the property and force the family, which includes children, out of their home.

The move was made months after Code Enforcement Officer Jeffrey Van Decker sent a letter to Tamie and Phyllis Morrison, owners of 72 Crockett Ridge Road, demanding that the system be repaired within 10 days. Van Decker’s letter came on the heels of a complaint by a neighbor of strong sewer odor.

“In my opinion it’s in deplorable condition,” agreed Selectman Bruce Cook, who lives in the neighborhood.

“Let’s get it done,” said Cook who made the motion to pay for the replacement of the system.

Work began at the site this week.

While the town tried to help the family get financing through Rural Development over the summer, and the project was put out to bid, that action ultimately failed when Rural Development, which holds the mortgage on the property, backed out. Specifics about the involvement by Rural Development must be kept confidential, Town Manager David Holt said.

State law allows a town to mandate the repair of a malfunctioning septic tank, cesspool or other wastewater disposal units, by assessing a “special tax” that reflects the direct and actual costs incurred by the town in abating the problem including a tax lien mortgage procedure.

Should the property be sold within the time frame of the tax lien, the lien will stay with the property. The town will not issue a clear title until the lien is paid off, Holt said.

Details of the payment and repayment are being worked out by Holt, but the manager said state law allows money to be taken from the town’s surplus account to pay for the work.