Exclusive: NJ Woman Claims Nearby Construction Is Damaging Dream Home, Company Disputes Claims
WAYNE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A New Jersey woman says construction on a shopping center expected to bring several new retailers and restaurants into town is wreaking havoc on her home.
The work is being done just steps from her property in Wayne.
"The house shakes violently, glass shattered on the floor, mirrors falling off the walls. It's been an absolute nightmare for our family," homeowner Darlene Ortiz said.
Ortiz has lived at her home on Hamburg Turnpike for almost 30 years. She says it was her dream home -- that is, until construction started right next door on a new shopping center in September, soon to be known as the Parke at Hamburg.
She says construction is destroying her home, cracking interior walls, the foundation and driveway.
But Lou March Jr., owner of the construction company March Associates, says all the appropriate measures were put in place prior to construction to protect it.
He did not want to go on camera but told CBS2 News over the phone the company installed vibration monitors to prevent shaking, put up a protective fence and took a video around her property, which he says proves the external cracks were already there.
Ortiz, however, insists the majority of the cracks on and in her home are new and the few existing ones were worsened.
"We've reached out to the township. The township has been extremely non-cooperative. We've also reached out to the developer, who has also been non-cooperative," she said.
Ortiz says she filed several police reports and wrote a letter, which she did not wish to share, to Mayor Christopher Vergano, citing the damage and her request for repairs.
The mayor never responded, Ortiz says.
CBS2 News reached out to the mayor's office for a response numerous times, but Vergano was not available for comment to address Ortiz's concerns or discuss any measures taken to protect her home.
Construction on the Parke is expected to wrap up this summer, but Ortiz is asking for a stop-work order until her concerns are addressed.
