Staff Writer
HOULTON — Robert Wing lives in an out-dated mobile home on top of a portion of land he and friend Michael Hayden purchased a few years back. 
Pioneer Times photo/Ben Austin
NOWHERE TO GO — Foxcroft Road residents Michael Hayden and Robert Wing stand outside their condemned home. The two moved out of that house and relocated in behind in a mobile home after black mold was found. Their mobile home is now on the verge of being condemned due to the lack of public works. Wing and Hayden have attempted several times to gain grant funding for a new septic and have been turned down each time. They are now looking at Houlton town officials for help.
The two purchased a house, which rests close to the Foxcroft Road. It’s almost unnoticeable due to the overgrown brush that surrounds it, but it matters little considering Wing and Hayden can’t live in it. Two years ago, black mold was found, making the structure uninhabitable. Wing had a mobile home brought in and they have been unable to reconnect to the other home’s existing septic system because of the costs.
It has been two years, and since then, their home has had no running water and no functioning septic, and with no place else to go, the two have been forced to use their outdoor surroundings as their bathroom facilities, something their neighbors are aware of, but have not complained about.
“We had to take and use a portable toilet in the winter time,” explained Wing. “In the summertime we use a regular toilet and it goes right out and we compost it outside. It gets so bad when it starts getting hot,” he said. “The bugs have been biting me really bad and it’s been leaking under the floor of the bedroom and it’s just nasty.”
Wing said it’s becoming a health hazard for him, but he added, there was nothing he could. He has made several attempts to obtain public funding, but his applications have been passed over for applicants who have been rated as being in greater need. Both Wing and Hayden said there’s no more need than having to live without sanitary washroom facilities.
“They (town officials) said they did have some grants for the handicap and they wouldn’t tell us nothing about them,” said Wind. “We’re both handicapped. My need it more than anyone else’s I bet.
“We’ve been using the bathroom outside and everyone in town knows it,” he added. “The city manager, the police department — everybody knows about it. We can’t live that way and my doctor says I might have to move.”
Discussing the thought of having to leave his property made Wing emotional and tearful. He said he has paid his taxes for this year and has not defaulted on any of his responsibilities as a taxpayer and all he asks is for some assistance from the town.
“It’s very upsetting,” explained Wing. “It’s against state law not to have a septic and they’re all laughing at me. We’ve had broken windows, people riding by hollering and swearing … It’s all harassment. The police department has been out there, and Wade Hanson has been out there.”
Wing’s property was hit by vandals recently who destroyed his mailbox and smashed a car that he has parked at the end of his driveway. Wing says he’s at the end of his rope and doesn’t know where to turn.
Wing said he and Hayden have applied for loans, however, they have been asked to purchase a new mobile home before they could be approved. That expense is one the two say they can not afford. Combined, their income averages approximately $12,000 a year from disability benefits. The two recently attended a public meeting in Hodgdon on July 1 about a Southern Aroostook Well and Septic Program, which they have been unable to tap into.
“As far as the house and the way it is, the bank won’t give a loan,” he explained. “That’s like $100,000 and we just can’t afford it. Something has got to be done.
“They told us at the other meeting that they won’t have any more grant money until 2010,” he said. “It was so upsetting.”
Wade Hanson is the community development director for the town of Houlton and past code enforcement officer. He said he has been out to Wing residence and said there is a working septic system that is located in the old house; all they have to do is hook up to it.
“What has happened in the past with this particular property is they had acquired a portable potty, which they had used inside the facility and taken their raw sewage down to their septic tank and dumping it into their septic tank,” explained Hanson. “They do have a functioning septic system on the property. Their only downfall is they have not connected a pipe to their existing home to the field that’s there. That’s what they need to do to have functioning facilities.”
Hanson acknowledged that Wing and Hayden had applied for grants, but were denied because they did not meet the criteria required for funding. He said there are four standards to meet — are they near public drinking water; is it threatening shellfish protection; water quality protection or is it a public nuisance.
“They potentially could be approved, but you have to apply ever year and the funding is limited,” explained Hanson. “They would have to come in and speak with us again … the Department of Environmental Protection would come down and inspect their property to see if they would qualify and the deadline for application has already gone through for this year. The DEP is looking at installing new systems,” he added. “Their system is functioning with the old house. They simply need to attach their trailer to that system.”
Both Wing and Hayden said they don’t have the money to cover that expense.
“If it becomes a public health hazard, the town’s options are to go in and physically condemn the building, which is going to cause more of an issue with these gentlemen and we have in the past offered a financing package to resolve the situation,” explained Hanson. “However, they would have to be able to show to us that they have exercised all abilities to try to pay for it themselves. It is still an option.
“In order to find out about that, they need to contact the town manager,” he said.
Hodgdon Town Manager Jim Griffin is working on the Southern Aroostook Well and Septic Program and he said Wing and Hayden did not get grant funding from this grant. Griffin said the grant is based on low income and those in the greatest need.
“Robert and Michael were not considered for the grant — there were others who came before them,” explained Griffin. “The grant is basically for low income … CDBG set up a criteria to try to score the applications we got in. Income is one, well or septic failure, elderly, number of children in the household, that type of thing.”
Maine law states that the outdoors cannot be used as bathroom facilities. Wing and Hayden could be left potentially homeless if they are unable to obtain funding to bring their home up to code.
Gerry Tidd has lived on the Foxcroft Road for years. She has been all too familiar with the current conditions at the Wing and Hayden property — she lives right beside them and has on one occasion or two, witnessed their use of the outdoors. Despite the circumstances, Tidd says the two have been some of the best neighbors she’s ever had and she’s upset about the way the two have been treated.
“They bought that house in good faith and then come to find out it’s full of black mold,” she said. “They were living there for quite a while before they knew what was going on. That stuff is deadly and I think the town ought to help them.”
Tidd said that in this day and age, no one should have to go without the basic necessity of public works. She said she had to replace her septic system herself at a cost of $6,500, but she added, she doesn’t believe her neighbors could afford it.
“I have no idea what they get for an income, but you can tell when they’re up against the wall because they’ll have a yard sale and try to sell everything they can find that they absolutely don’t need and I’ve seen them down to County Yankee afterwards and they’re down there buying groceries with their money,” she explained. “They’re not wasting it on beer or cigarettes or nothing … they’re buying groceries. The town has the means to get them help.
“They should be coming good for that,” she said.
As of presstime on Tuesday, Wing and Hayden had continued efforts to gain assistance from the town.
