LIVERMORE FALLS – The cost of demolishing and discarding a burned-out house now owned by the town is mounting.

The estimate has reached nearly $25,000.

Selectmen deemed the 90 Main St. building “dangerous” under state law in December. In February, the town foreclosed on the property for back property and sewer taxes. Two juveniles were charged with torching the building in March 2008 and the owner, Thomas Harville of Skowhegan, did not have insurance on it.

Selectmen awarded a contract Monday for demolition and debris removal work to low bidder Castonguay Excavating of Livermore Falls, for a cost of $9,105, pending voters approval at a special town meeting that has not yet been set.

Castonguay’s price includes taking down the buildings, removing debris and hauling it to Norridgewock, and back-filling the foundation.

The town will pay the cost of the tipping fees because that was the only way a Norridgewock company would accept the debris, highway foreman Bill Nichols said.

Two people have estimated the tonnage, he said, at about 100 tons, with the cost of tipping fees at about $60 a ton, Nichols said.

The town also has to bear costs to remove hazardous materials found in the buildings by Acadia Contractors LLC of Turner.

The cost for that work, which included a hazardous material inspection, is $9,850.

Board Chairwoman Louise Chabot opened four sealed bids for the demolition work with prices ranging from Castonguay’s $9,105 to Cushing Construction Co. of Readfield’s $18,000.

In other matters, selectmen voted 4-1 with Bill Demaray opposed to sell town-owned property that includes a house at 7 Maple St. to high bidders Thanyarat and Robert Ryan of Livermore Falls for $4,372.

The town will get its $2,947.80 in back sewer and property taxes from that amount.

Harville, who also formerly owned that building, sent a letter to selectmen saying he would pay $3,000, plus another year of taxes if necessary to get his property back.

Two other bids for the property were $3,001 and $538.70.

The only bidder on a mobile home that was said to be in poor condition was awarded to Josh Roberts for $350, which is about what is owed to the town.

That property is at a mobile home park on West Loop Road.