Maine man saws neighbor’s garage in half during property dispute

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — A Maine property owner used a sawzall to solve a property dispute, carefully cutting down a portion of his neighbor's garage that went over the line. 

Gabriel Brawn, who works in construction, cut the structure that was over a surveyor's line and are installing a fence along the boundary, the Bangor Daily News reported.

The Brawns had an amicable relationship with their neighbor Steve Ritter until he died in 2016. Ritter's wife took over the property but rarely visited it. At one point, the Brawns unsuccessfully tried to purchase the property. 

In April, the dispute got heated when the Brawns put wood chips on a portion of the established boundary so heavy equipment could get to downed limbs on the back of the property. Blake Ritter, Steve Ritter's son, put a stake in the pile of wood chips and told Brawn it was their property. 

Brawn called a surveyor who indicated the property line went through the Ritter's garage. The tenants moved out that night.

“There’s been a property-line dispute for a couple of months and obviously that was the result between Mr. Brawn and the owner of the other building,” Dover-Foxcroft police Chief Ryan Reardon said. “We were aware of the situation and believe it’s been resolved at this point.”

Cox Media Group