Norwich — The collapse of a 15-foot-high fieldstone retaining wall on Monday has led to a dispute between the state Department of Transportation and the owner of the four-family apartment house at 663 N. Main St. at the edge of the collapse.

The wall collapsed at about noon Monday, leaving a large gap beneath the sidewalk and a portion of the roadway on Route 12/North Main Street in Greeneville.

DOT crews worked throughout this week on a temporary repair that entails filling the gap with dirt and caged trap rock and shoring up the fill with giant concrete blocks.

A double layer of sandbags has been set up on North Main Street to keep any rainwater out of the weakened area, officials at the scene said Friday.

The collapse damaged a steep staircase down to the lower side yard and the basement door in the four-unit apartment house owned by local landlord Andrew Zeeman.

Zeeman, who said he was at the property at the time of the collapse, now is at odds with the DOT over the agency's plans to purchase his house, relocate the tenants immediately and demolish the house.

Zeeman met with DOT officials most of Friday morning, and he disputes the price the agency offered, saying it does not take into account the loss of rental income he would suffer.

He said DOT officials would not allow him to offer to relocate the tenants to other available apartments he owns in the area.

“Gov. (Dannel P.) Malloy has $2 billion for highway improvements, but they don't have any money for me,” Zeeman said Friday. “This couldn't have come at a worse time.”

Zeeman said all four apartments are occupied, and his income from the house after expenses is about $2,000 per month. He plans to seek assistance from state legislators in the dispute.

Zeeman said he bought the house five years ago and has been concerned about the wall ever since then. He said he alerted DOT officials about a sagging condition at the time and was told the wall was 100 years old and “wasn't going anywhere.”

Over the years, Zeeman watched the bulge worsen, but again was reassured that it was OK.

On Monday, he heard “a loud ruckus.” The collapse pushed the basement door in and dislocated the staircase about 3 to 4 feet, Zeeman said. DOT crews have removed the staircase to access the damaged area.

City building officials have determined the house was not damaged enough to warrant condemnation, Director of Inspections James Troeger said.

James Mason, assistant director of the DOT Office of Rights of Ways, was at the property Friday. Mason confirmed that the agency wants tenants relocated as soon as possible and said the DOT would negotiate with Zeeman to purchase the building.

He said Zeeman can submit his own appraisal — Zeeman said he was denied that option — and the two parties would negotiate.

“We have a negotiation process,” Mason said. “We are willing to negotiate with him. We made an offer based on the appraisal.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday