I (Peter Frei) received the following letter to publish on my (back then) stationary web-page:

Scott Kohlstrom

Lori Mosher-Kohlstrom

Post Office Box 665

Spencer, MA 01562-0665

(508) 885-4185 [as of March 2008, the number is in use by another party]

April 10, 2004

RE: 9 Chandler Road, Holland, MA; previously numbered as 3 Chandler Road.

To whom it may concern,

The property located on Map & Parcel R26-F-2 in the Holland, MA Town Assessors Office, was purchased November 16, 1992 by Frank Mosher of 70 Quaboug Street, Brookfield, MA for his daughter Lori Mosher. As of this date, the property has been paid in full by Scott Kohlstrom and Lori Mosher-Kohlstrom; however, title has not been officially released/transferred.

The property has been undergoing renovations since time of purchase in 1992. In 1997, we contacted the Holland Board of Health and talked to Sally Blaze in regards to the procedure required to have a new septic system installed. She indicated that we needed to hire a Civil Engineer and a licensed Septic System Installer. No recommendations were given on whom to contact.

After a lengthy search, we were only able to obtain Civil Engineering of Palmer, MA and Woloshchuk Enterprises, Inc. of Monson, MA. An Application was filed in September 1997, followed by a perk test and Septic Designs by June 1998. A variance was required and obtained in July 1998. After review by Author Quinn [Arthur Quinn], P.E., the town’s engineer, a few modifications/corrections were required and resubmitted September 1998.

The septic system was finally installed and inspected in June of 1999. The system was eventually back filled and grading completed. We received verbal confirmation directly from Author Quinn [Arthur Quinn] that the Certificate of Compliance would be on file at the Town Hall and we could obtain a copy of it within 30 days. Based on that information, we made the final payment to the installer.

Shortly there after, it came to our attention that the system had been rotated 180 degrees due to the installer hitting ledge and that Author Quinn [Arthur] Quinn] had requested As-Builts to the changes. Both the installer and us were under the impression that the changes were accepted; however, once this information was finally reviewed by Sally Blaze [Blais], the entire installation was null and voided and Author Quinn’s [Arthur Quinn's] story had changed.

After several meetings and conversations, including with legal counsel, over the next 1-2 years, yielded no resolution to rectify the situation with the Town of Holland’s Board of Health. After weighing the pros and cons of taking legal action against the installer and/or Town, we decided to attempt to workout a solution with the Board of Health. The only complaint from the Board of Health was that the septic tank was too close to a hill and they were concern of the tank moving. The only solution offered by the BOH was to install a guardrail along the hill and tank so the town could monitor if the tank was moving. Based on layout of the property and the grading, it would be near impossible to install such a guardrail. The option of a retaining wall did not appear to be a solution by both parties due to engineering issues, costs, and appearances.

Finally, near the end of 2000, we became discouraged by the lack of assistance by the town to come up with a solution. We became distraught over the negative attitude taken against us and the show of disrespect and talking-down-to that we received from Sally Blaze [Sally Blais]. We even went as far as removing the entire system and reinstalling it per the original plans; however, Sally Blaze [Sally Blais] thought this was crazy and that the system would work as installed.

Several other attempts were made in 2002 and 2003 to attempt to rectify the situation and note that the tank has not moved since it was installed. We were shocked and outraged to be treated with even greater disrespect and spoken down to as we attempted to revisit this issue.

As such, the house still remains unlivable due to emotional distress over the property, the town, a severe lack of being able to hire anyone to work on the property, and due to the second major issue regarding this property, as noted next.

During the time the septic system was installed, the installer also installed a curtain drain to help shed any surface water run off from an adjacent property, up hill from us. The drain was discharged into an open drainage ditch that ran along the road and property.

A few days later, there was a sever storm and downpour that washed out part of the road into this drainage ditch. The next day, we were notified that a State Cruiser had driven into this ditch and had to be pulled out and that Jeff Landers of the Town’s Highway Department had filled in this ditch completely, causing all water runoff and road drainage pipes to empty into our property, causing damage to the yard and property. We contacted the Highway Department, the BOH, and our lawyer. After about 5 days, the Highway Department installed a small pipe and filled around it. We noted that the pipe was too high and too small. It was half the size of a pipe that discharged into the drainage-ditch just a few feet up the road. After several failed attempts to rectify the situation, we meet with the Selectman and were told that the Town had just lost their Highway Department due to a walk off and that they could not offer us any help. They also stated that it was a private road and felt that the Highway Department had no business working on that road and that we should correct it ourselves. We noted that the Town has been maintaining this road for as long as we know of.

Currently, the pipe is still in place and water floods our property. Sally Blaze [Sally Blais] of the BOH has strictly instructed us that it is our problem and that we are the ones responsible. She even went as far to tell us not to take this matter to the Selectman again, nor should we waste our time with legal counsel. She did instruct us to receive instructions from the Town’s Highway Department as to how it is to be repaired and to expect us to cover the costs and to hire someone to perform the work.

We never were successful in contacting someone at the Highway Department and we were not able to find anyone willing to work in the town, especially to correct a problem like this. Due to this additional emotional distress, we have basically abandoned the hopes of ever making this into a livable/usable piece of property.

 

-Scott Kohlstrom

 

Update

Lori J. (Kohlstrom) Mosher, 36, died Saturday, February 21, 2009 as a result of a snowmobile accident in Wales, MA.

Lori was born in Ware, MA on April 11, 1972, the daughter of Frank & Marilyn (McDonald) Mosher of Brookfield. She leaves her ex-husband, Scott D. Kohlstrom; two daughters: Kristine and Kathleen both at home; two sisters: Bonnie (Mosher) Paradis of Brookfield and Sherri (Mosher) Olson & her husband Vernon of Palmer; two nephews: Michael Paradis of OK and Andrew Olson & his wife Katrina of Palmer; several aunts and uncles; and her longtime companion, Lorne Margadonna of Spencer.

Lori attended Tantasqua Vocational High School, Springfield Technical Community College and received her Bachelors in Business Administration from Becker College in Leicester, MA. She was currently employed by Optim of Sturbridge and formerly worked at Wm. E. Wright Co. of West Warren. Lori loved life and lived it to the fullest. She was caring, thoughtful and always quick with a smile. We miss her deeply and she will remain forever in our hearts.

The funeral for Lori took place on Thursday at 10:00AM in the East Brookfield Baptist Church, 262 East Main St., East Brookfield. Burial followed in Brookfield Cemetery.