CHARLEMONT — A judge informed the owners of the long-vacant Charlemont Inn on Sept. 14 that they have until Nov. 17 to find a buyer for the property before the court decides about foreclosure.

The owners, Charlotte Dewey and Linda Shimandle, owe more than $85,000 in tax payments, interest, court costs and legal fees to the town. The building has sat vacant for about 12 years and is currently condemned.

The 22-room inn at 107 Main St. operated from the late 1770s to 2011, when it was closed to the public over an inability to pay sewer bills after Hurricane Irene, according to a letter Dewey wrote to the court in 2021.

“I realize a lot of the townspeople want to see something happen there. I spent the last many years trying to do exactly that. There have been many roadblocks,” Dewey said in an interview. “Only history will tell if I had been too stubborn. It was always with the primary intent to keep an operating inn.”

For more than a decade, the Charlemont Inn owners have been involved in various land court cases with the Sewer District, as well as with the town, for not paying property taxes. During that time the Board of Health found various issues with the property that need to be addressed before it can reopen.

In recent years, there have been several efforts by the town to take possession of the property for back taxes. In 2021, the town sent a letter to land court asking to expedite the process so something can be done with the vacant building. This letter also was sent to then-state Rep. Paul Mark and then-state Sen. Adam Hinds. The Planning Board and the Historical Commission sent supporting letters in tandem with the Selectboard.

Before the most recent hearing on Sept. 14, the Selectboard, Board of Health and Historical Commission all wrote letters again urging the court to speed up the process.

The Selectboard stressed the financial benefit of having this property back in business, saying if the Charlemont Inn was operational, the town could receive $20,000 in annual property taxes and $72,000 in room and meal tax, or 2% of the annual operating revenue.

In the Historical Commission’s letter, members asked for the court to assist the town in saving the building from being demolished, adding that it is at risk for vandalism and structural failure.

“The town has since been in grave danger of losing a precious resource that once was, and we hope, could once again be a focal point of our town,” the Historical Commission wrote.

The commission continued by saying it would cost between $2 million and $4 million for redevelopment.

Similarly, the Board of Health is concerned about a possible structure fire, the building’s vulnerability to break-ins, and a leaky roof that has caused the growth of mold and mildew.

“It is difficult to state how important the building is to most of us in the community,” the Board of Health’s letter reads. “If it reaches the point of needing to be demolished, this will leave an open wound. Time is not on our side.”

The boards have stressed that Dewey stated in the past she had found potential buyers, but they do not believe one will come to fruition.

In Dewey’s 2021 letter to the court, she explained she had an investor in 2019, but it fell through with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she has paid more than $67,000 to the Charlemont Sewer District and $47,000 in real estate taxes. Dewey has since declared bankruptcy.

“We have a couple more months to find a buyer or investor,” Dewey said. “The building is standing strong so far. We just keep hoping. All we can do is remain positive like we have.”

Reach Bella Levavi at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.