OXFORD — The town intends to make the owner of an illegal junkyard on Fore Street bring his property into compliance with state regulations.

The property at 137 Fore St. is owned by David Witham, who owns a second junkyard at 100 Fore St., according to Code Enforcement Officer Rodney Smith.

Witham’s junkyard permit for his 100 Fore St. location recently expired and he has not yet reapplied to the town, Smith reported. Junkyards and automobile graveyards are required to have an annual town-issued permit. Automobile recycling businesses are repermitted every five years.

At its meeting last month, the Board of Selectmen approved permits for three other junkyards in town.

According to Smith, Witham has moved from his previous, permitted location to the new, unpermitted scrap yard at 137 Fore St.

Smith said he wanted Witham to clean up the new property and move his inventory to the old location before the town would issue him a new permit.

“It’s getting bad,” Smith said. “I guess he started out slow, but now he has junk everywhere.”

Witham has not returned his many phone calls, and Smith said the town would attempt to contact him via registered mail.

An attempt to contact Witham on Monday was unsuccessful.

At the Nov. 21 selectmen meeting, an abutter to Witham’s 137 Fore St. property said the growth of the unpermitted junkyard was a health and safety concern.

Town Manager Michael Chammings said the Town Office was trying to work with Witham to bring his property into compliance. The last time the town was forced to make a scrapyard owner clean up their property, it took three years to resolve the case, Chammings said.

“I’ve seen that one and I agree: It’s not in compliance with state law. But I have to be patient because it takes a long time,” Chammings told the resident and selectmen.

Maine defines an automobile graveyard as any property that has three or more unregistered or uninspected motor vehicles, while a junkyard is defined as an open area to store or dismantle discarded scrap metal, lumber or consumer and industrial equipment. An automobile recycling business is one that buys and resells salvaged automobile and automobile parts.