Maine: Angry Logger Tears Down Part Of Neighbor’s House

By Ted Cohen

A dispute between neighbors in Portage Lake, Maine, triggered a skidder attack from one of them, police say.

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Gary Belanger, 63, is accused of "maliciously destroying" his neighbor's house with a grapple skidder, according to TheCounty.me.

Belanger allegedly drove the machine, equipped with a claw to pick up logs, into Carla and Peter Beaupre's house, tearing it apart.

The dispute stemmed from the married couple's refusal to let Belanger transport felled logs from an adjacent property through an access road on their land, the Beaupres told Bangor Daily News.

The conflict escalated over time, leading to a series of arrests and a protection order barring Belanger from contact with the couple.

Belanger was out on bail and facing misdemeanor charges from two other incidents involving the Beaupres when he allegedly drove the skidder onto their property and used it to shred portions of their house, a shed and a truck.

Police found Belanger on top of the skidder, where they reported he was "having hallucinations" and claimed not to know how the equipment ended up in the middle of the road.

Belanger's wife apologized for her husband, saying he flipped out after allegedly being harassed by his neighbors.

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