Belmont sues Rep. Sylvia over home regulation issues

LACONIA — The town of Belmont is suing state Rep. Michael Sylvia for alleged violations of town and state regulations regarding his dwellings. Sylvia is due to appear in Belknap County Superior Court next week as the town seeks to have him barred from living in the structures.

In a civil complaint filed last month, the town alleges that Sylvia has been living in a recreational vehicle and a converted garage on his property at 216 Farrarville Road without obtaining the necessary occupancy and building permits. The complaint states that Sylvia occupies the RV during the summer, and the garage in winter.

The complaint further alleges that there is no record of a properly functioning septic system on the property.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Sylvia declined to comment.

“I shouldn’t talk about it at this time,” he said.

According to the complaint, Sylvia defended himself in a letter sent to the town on May 15, saying his actions were not harming anyone and therefore are protected by the Constitution.

The town has been trying to get Sylvia to comply with the regulations without success, the complaint states. It cites three letters the town sent to him between Aug. 16, 2017, and this past March 5, as well as a letter from the town’s attorney, sent on May 1.

Court records show that Sylvia is acting as his own attorney in the matter.

A hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday, when the town will ask the court to order Sylvia to stop living in the RV or the garage, arguing there is “cognizable [detectable] danger of recurrent violations.”

On his Facebook page, Sylvia lists his priorities as individual liberty, personal responsibility, and government accountability. The website Vote Smart lists other priorities as “reduce government wherever possible, cut taxes at every opportunity and eliminate excessive regulations.” He is a member of the Free State Project, according the website Free State Project Watch, and, while “known as a Free Stater in political circles, deliberately leaves his Free State affiliation off campaign materials and his campaign website.”