Orono’s law meant to fine residents for loud parties is being changed less than a year after it was enacted.
The Town Council enacted a disorderly property ordinance in August 2025 following an assault in the town’s Webster neighborhood. The law issues fines to tenants and landlords for loud parties.
University of Maine students said the fines handed out were too expensive and could make it harder for students to find housing, leading the council to amend the law at its Monday meeting.
Orono officials said the law has cut down on rowdy parties and repeat offenders, which, along with educating residents to call police for disturbances, was the goal. While the rule has been successful, feedback from residents led the council to adjust the fine structure.
The rule initially had fines beginning at $300 and $600, depending on the size of the party, that doubled on subsequent offenses. Approved changes keep the initial fine amounts but create caps on how much a home can be charged for one offense.
For disorderly parties with fewer than 20 people, fines start at $300 and max out at $1,200, ending the doubling effect. Fines for parties with more than 20 people start at $600 and cap at $2,400. There is no cap on how much a house can be fined in a year.
Under the previous doubling scale, a house would receive a fine of more than $1 million after 11 parties larger than 20 people.
The tweaks are a positive “package of changes” that show that the law is more for engagement and education than it is for punishing someone, Town Council Chair Dan Demeritt said Monday.
“It’s not about punitive actions, unless, you know, punitive actions are truly warranted,” he said.
Out of 62 police responses in the past nine months, Orono Police officers issued nine fines, according to the town.
The amendments also include creating a rebate system for houses that only commit one offense in a year. Under the new law, four homes currently qualify for a rebate, Orono Police Chief Dan Merrill said Monday.
Residents in the four houses said they’re going to “mind their Ps and Qs” so they can cash in on the rebate, Merrill said.
“Everybody was very enthused they could be getting money back,” Merrill said.
So far this year, there have been two disorderly properties, only one of which received a fine, showing that the law is educating residents thus far, Merrill said.
“I would say we’re going in a good direction,” he said.