Printed on recycled paper 132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025 Legislative Document No. 994H.P. 641House of Representatives, March 11, 2025 An Act Regarding the Enforcement Provisions of the Law Governing Private Road Maintenance Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. ROBERT B. HUNT Clerk Presented by Representative HEPLER of Woolwich. Cosponsored by Senator BAILEY of York. Page 1 - 132LR1283(01) 1 2 as enacted by PL 2021, c. 13, §1, is amended to 3 read: 4 5 road, each property owner who shares the common benefit is responsible for a share of the 6 cost of reasonable and necessary repairs to and maintenance of that private road determined 7 pursuant to the terms of any agreement entered into to determine the share of the cost of 8 reasonable and necessary repairs to and maintenance of the private road, any deed 9 restriction, covenant or declaration applicable to the benefited property, any road 10 association created pursuant to this chapter or otherwise or any method elected under 11 section 3101, when applicable. In the absence of any such agreement, entered into to 12 determine the share of the cost of reasonable and necessary repairs to and maintenance of 13 the private road; deed restriction, covenant, or declaration, applicable to the benefited 14 property; road association established for the private road; or method elected under section 15 3101 to determine the share of the cost of reasonable and necessary repairs to and 16 maintenance of the private road, each residential property owner, after reasonable due 17 process and written notice, shall share equally in the cost of reasonable and necessary 18 repairs to and maintenance of the private road when the private road is the primary means 19 of access to the benefited property. For purposes of this section, each residential property 20 may be assessed only one share toward the collective cost of repairs and maintenance 21 regardless of whether there are multiple owners of record for one property. 22 as enacted by PL 2021, c. 13, §1, is amended to 23 read: 24 25 cost of reasonable and necessary repairs to and maintenance of the private road in 26 accordance with subsection 1, the payment is delinquent if not paid within 30 days after a 27 demand in writing, a legal claim which must contain the name of the vendor, the purpose 28 of the repair or maintenance and the date the vendor was paid and must be delivered to that 29 owner at the address set forth in the municipal tax records, and a civil action for payment 30 of the amount owed together with interest from the date of the written demand for payment, 31 filing fees and other costs of collection including reasonable attorney's fees may be brought 32 against that owner by a residential property owner or owners who share a common benefit 33 in the road, either jointly or severally. 34 35 This bill provides that if a residential property owner fails to pay that owner's share of 36 the cost of reasonable and necessary repairs to and maintenance of a private road, the 37 payment is delinquent if not paid within 30 days after a demand in writing, which must 38 contain the name of the vendor, the purpose of the repair or maintenance and the date the 39 vendor was paid and must be delivered to that owner at the address set forth in the municipal 40 tax records, and a civil action for payment of the amount owed together with interest from 41 the date of the written demand for payment, filing fees and other costs of collection 42 including reasonable attorney's fees may be brought against that owner by a residential 43 property owner or owners who share a common benefit in the road, either jointly or 44 severally. 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44