PALERMO, Maine — A contractor paid a $20,000 fine with over 12,000 pounds of coins.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Kirk Sherman, who purchased waterfront property along Lake Sheepscot in Maine in April 2024, faced a hefty fine in December for violating the town’s lakeshore ordinance.
“We actually approached the town before we bought the property about what could be done on it,” Sherman told WABI.
“While we can’t speculate why they did what they did, we find it very unprofessional on their part.” Palermo Selectman Robert Kurek said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Wurst nightmare: Hot dog spill shuts down highway
- Over $1,500 worth of stolen meat from Walmart found during traffic stop
- Fire department mourning death of former part-time firefighter
Sherman claimed he was initially willing to pay a $10,000 fine and take responsibility, but decided to pay in coins when the fine exceeded that amount, WABI reported.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) confirmed Sherman disrupted wetlands with the construction but did not issue a penalty, leaving further action to the municipality.
“Within a day of the notification, we’d hired the people that we had were supposed to. We’d contacted DEP. We’ve done exactly everything the DEP asked us to do, and the DEP is fine with it; they didn’t write a violation or even give a fine,” Sherman said.
Sherman dropped off the coins at the Palermo Town Office last Thursday, fulfilling his promise to pay in pennies.
“I’m paying it, and I just want them to realize that they weren’t fair with us. So this is our kind of one fun way of saying, ‘Here’s your payment, good luck,” he said.
The town is considering issuing Sherman a handling fee due to the work required to count the change.
The unusual payment method highlights Sherman’s dissatisfaction with the fine, while the town considers additional fees for handling the coins.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
