Stonehill College and its host community, Easton, generally get along well, according to officials on both sides. But one recent disagreement could not be settled satisfactorily, it seems, so the two sides will take it up in court.
The dispute began last fall when Easton’s building inspector charged the college a $55,754 penalty for starting construction on a dormitory without the required building permit.
Stonehill paid the fine but is now suing Easton to get the money back, saying the fee was unfair. The college is also asking for court costs, according to documents filed in Bristol Superior Court.
“We think the penalty is excessive and arbitrary,’’ college spokesman Martin McGovern said recently.
Easton’s building inspector, Mark Trivett, disagrees. He said Easton’s regulations are pretty much the standard, and the fine was based on a fee schedule approved by the town’s Board of Selectmen. “Across the state and across the country, codes say when work begins without a permit, the fee shall be doubled,’’ he said.