SAUGUS – Town officials are poised to try to recoup money spent in the interest of public safety when a retaining wall on Hitching Hill Road collapsed.Last month a string of homes along Hesper Street were threatened when an upscale housing project built on the hill above them started to crumble, literally. A nearly 30-foot section of a retaining wall gave way, tumbling down the steep hillside toward the homes. While none sustained any damage from the event, the stability of the remaining wall was called into question and homeowners scrambled for answers as to whether their homes were safe to inhabit.After meeting with the neighbors, Town Manager Andrew Bisignani called in a geo-technical engineer to examine the wall and issue a report on its stability. He said the report should be ready next week. It also comes with a price tag of $15,000 to $20,000.Finance Committee member Teri Katsos asked him during a meeting Wednesday if he had any plans to try to recoup the funds.”I’ve instructed Town Counsel to put a lien on the property,” he said.Bisignani said he’ll let Town Counsel decide at a later date whom it is appropriate to go after for reimbursement – the developer or the property owner.While it was believed that the four homes were owned by four different entities, Bisignani said he now thinks all four properties are in foreclosure. In that case, Bisignani said the town would go after the mortgage company.”When the wall will be repaired is another story,” he added.Bisignani said each home has a work stop order attached to it, utilities have been cut off to the area and the police caution tape still surrounds the properties. He also said he doubts the homes will ever receive occupancy permits because he believes the shift in the earth due to the collapse, or that led to it, caused cracks in the foundations of at least a few of the homes.In the meantime, families on Hesper Street, many of whom were evacuated, have long returned home. They wait not only to hear the findings of the report, but also to find out if the property owner plans to do anything at all to resolve the issue of their safety.Bisignani said while the town would take no responsibility for the retaining wall since it sits on private property, he hoped the report might resolve some issues for the neighbors.