Maine Revised Statutes Title 17. Crimes § 2853. Recovery of expenses

All expenses incurred by a municipality or county related to an order issued under section 2851, including, but not limited to, expenses relating to the abatement or removal of a building, must be repaid to the municipality or county by the owner within 30 days after demand, or a special tax may be assessed by the assessors against the land on which the building was located for the amount of the expenses and that amount must be included in the next annual warrant to the tax collector of the municipality or county for collection and must be collected in the same manner as other state, county and municipal taxes are collected.

In the case of any claim for expenses incurred in the abatement or removal of any wharf, pier, pilings or any portion thereof that extends beyond the low water mark, the special tax authorized by this section must apply to the land from which the wharf, pier or pilings extended or to which they were adjacent, if the owner of the land is also the owner of the wharf, pier, pilings or portion thereof.

Expenses include, but are not limited to, the costs of title searches, location reports, service or process, reasonable attorney's fees, costs of removal of the building, any costs incurred in securing the building pending its removal and all other costs incurred by the municipality or county that are reasonably related to the removal of the building. In addition to levying a special tax, the municipality or county may recover its expenses, including its reasonable attorney's fees, by means of a civil action brought against the owner.