KINGFIELD — Selectmen will consult with the town attorney to determine whether to take a property owner to court.

Brian and Susan Goss, who live at 82 West Kingfield Road, asked selectmen at their Monday night meeting to address concerns about an abandoned trailer across from their house at 79 West Kingfield Road.

“I have pictures of the home, so you can see why I’m here tonight,” Brian Goss said.

The trailer has not been occupied for approximately two years, he said. The front door remained open for much of last winter, and animals live in and under the structure. The deck has rotted, a tree has fallen on the roof, and the trailer is no longer habitable.

Douglas Marble, the town’s administrative assistant and code enforcement officer, supported their concerns. He reviewed limits of ordinances to regulate and abate blighted structures. If a building is found to be unfit for human habitation or other use after investigation and owner notification, he or the board may order the owner to remove or demolish the structure.

Lori Murray Reed, who owns the property, has paid taxes on the property, Marble said.

Selectmen authorized him to seek advice on legal steps, as town officials must follow strict procedures for condemning blighted property or declaring it a junkyard.

“Junk is something that has deteriorated beyond its intended use, like rotting wood or rusting metal,” Marble said. The trailer meets that definition, he said.

“It was intended to be lived in, but it’s not any more,” Marble said. “We can enforce the code without taking anyone to court, and most of the time, property owners don’t want to go to court.”

Condemning the building is an alternative, but Marble said he wanted the town’s attorney, Frank Underkuffler, to advise him on the legal steps. Selectmen don’t need to have a public hearing to enforce the junkyard ordinance, but the town must hold a special hearing to condemn the trailer as a dangerous building. If the town has to pay to clean up the property, taxpayers shouldn’t have to absorb those costs, he said.

“We can assess a special tax to recoup money for cleanup,” Marble said.