A demolition order for the crumbling home of Bolinas resident Ralph Garside remains in place after a judge dismissed his appeal because it was not filed within the allowed 20-day window. Bolinas resident Ryker Schenk, a former contractor, appeared on Mr. Garside’s behalf to argue that he did not get the order when the court says it was served, on Aug. 22. After the meeting, he said that it must have been a “sewer service”—that the county intentionally failed to properly serve Mr. Garside so he could not respond. Mr. Schenk said he received the order on Sept. 7; he then filed the appeal on Sept. 25. “This is selective, vindictive and malicious prosecution against my client,” he said. Mr. Schenk tried to argue the merits of the appeal at the Dec. 10 hearing, but Judge Stephen Freccero pushed back and said he could only consider its timeliness. Because the 20-day appeal window opens when the order is served—not when it is received—he said he had no authority to accept the late appeal. “The law is quite clear,” he said. The county plans to pursue the demolition order. “We are still considering the best way to handle it,” county lawyer Jacy Dardine said. He couldn’t expand on the county’s options moving forward, but said the bluff-side property poses a severe safety issue that must be addressed. “This isn’t just some blight on the neighborhood; this property is on the verge of collapsing with occupants inside,” he said. In October, county inspectors executed an inspection warrant and found the building conditions to be mostly unchanged since they last inspected the site in January. Some junk had been removed, and a makeshift stabilization mechanism was built, code compliance specialist Cristy Stanley said. Inspectors posted placards on every structure warning occupants to enter at their own risk.