No bidders met the reserve price this month for Donald Lee's shorefront property, which the state ordered the Sheriff to sell after the Massachusetts resident repeatedly failed to comply with a court order to pay for the environmental damage he caused to Bradford Cove. A second auction date will be set, but in the interim the Ossipee Bluffs Association will have to cover the $500,00 to $600,000 remediation cost.
Can anyone in Concord explain why the Donald Lee environmental case is still unresolved after 22 years?
With the crack of an auctioneer's gavel, 28 years of gaming — and embarrassing — DES, state judges and the Office of the State Attorney General came to an end this month as big lake environmental violator Donald Lee forfeited his property. Unfortunately for the neighbors he hurt, the proceeds from the sale are hundreds of thousands of dollars short of the cost to clean up his mess.
Judge says Lee has "made diligent efforts" to respond to a September 2006 order to remediate damage to the lake and grants him another six months to comply.
Judge issues an emergency relief order after the Attorney General's office authorizes the environmental violator to encumber the property with a $150,000 mortgage.
James Lamm believes the court-ordered dredging of the Lovell River could damage his property, which he says runs to the center of the river.
DES says Lee failed to provide complete information.
Judge again delays ruling on a contempt charge and sets a new court date for January.
Case grinds on, with the latest contempt of court motion scheduled to be heard on November 24.
Lake group seeks civil fines and a lien on the Massachusetts resident's property for willful non-compliance with a court-ordered environmental clean-up.