Long Beach Woman In Fear As House Next Door Leans Toward Her Property
LONG BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- An elderly Long Island homeowner said she is scared the leaning house next door could come crashing down on her.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, the house is now being propped up on the woman's own property.
"They literally have things on my house," said homeowner Marie Febrizio. "It's not beautiful. It's my mansion."
Febrizio's mansion is now a support system for her next-door neighbor's home, which is under construction on West Park Avenue in Long Beach.
On an extremely windy Thursday, March 2, emergency crews arrived to find the home suddenly leaning toward Febrizio's house.
Support beams and a frame in the backyard were put up.
"Even the Leaning Tower of Pisa hasn't gone down, but here, I mean, something's there five minutes and it's gone," Febrizio said.
Though the house is still leaning, the city said it is no longer in immediate danger of falling down.
"It is considered safe," said Long Beach Building Commissioner Scott Kemins.
Due process now gives the homeowner 10 days to come up with a solution.
"Unfortunately, there are the legalities that we have to follow, and we're trying to do our best to put enough pressure on the property owner to remove it as soon as possible," Kemins said.
Febrizio and her son took their concerns to the Town Council meeting on Tuesday. She became visibly upset, and said she now sleeps in a recliner by the door.
"I literally go to sleep on my chair like this with my pocketbook, all dressed up, in case I've got to run out the door," she said.
Febrizio's son is anxious to see his mother's home safe and the home next door dismantled.
"I'm hoping within the next couple of days, they begin deconstructing it," said Nick Febrizio.
"I believe at the end of the day, we're going to end up making him take the entire house down to the very least the foundation," Kemins said.
If the homeowner does not take action by the deadline, the city said it will be forced to take action in court.
The City of Long Beach said the homeowner is cooperating, and an engineer is now evaluating the problem.
