Hermit a no-show at disputed woodlot hearing, faces fines

By KATHY McCORMACK
Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former hermit in New Hampshire who went back to live on the wooded property he was ordered to leave realizes that his time there is drawing to a close — but he appears willing to keep fighting against his removal for now. David Lidstone, who just turned 82, failed to show up for a contempt of court hearing Thursday in his tug-of-war with a Vermont landowner over a patch of forest near the Merrimack River that he’s called home for 27 years. Given his history of not appearing at hearings until he’s arrested, a judge interpreted Lidstone’s no-show as a “seemingly deliberate” move and imposed costs to cover some of the landowner’s expenses. He says Lidstone would face a $500-a-day fine if he doesn’t leave by April 11.