Mohamed Bughrara
David “River Dave” Lidstone, a native of Maine, chose not to disclose his current address or give the landowner’s contact information. Lidstone’s recent activities were not revealed by a check of the county registers of deeds for Maine. Lidstone refuses to reveal his current address or give the landowner’s contact information.
David claimed he was forced to leave Canterbury, New Hampshire because of a dispute he had been having with a different landowner since 2016 regarding a section of forest close to the Merrimack River that David had lived in for 27 years, hence the infamous name of River Dave, known to kayakers and boaters.
A judge ordered him to leave in 2017 after Leonard Giles, the landowner, filed a lawsuit against him, and more recently, a judge said Lidstone would be fined $500 per day if he didn’t depart from the river.
A judge warned David in March that if he didn’t leave the area by April 11, he would be subject to a daily fine. The judge determined that Lidstone must also cover some of Giles’ legal expenses. Lidstone was accused of trespassing on the property.
Giles, 87, of South Burlington, Vermont, passed away in July. If his passing affects the case’s status, it wasn’t immediately apparent. A request for a response from his counsel was not answered.
David agreed to collect his personal belongings in New Hampshire. He’d found temporary housing while deciding where to live next, as he had received offers, yet he couldn’t go back to being a hermit. However, he returned to living in a shed on the property that had survived the fire late last year, prompting additional legal action.
According to David’s cousin, David had relocated to Maine, and a Facebook post featured pictures of Lidstone in his new house with a family member.
