Midtown Crane Collapse Victim Can't Quite Rebuild Home

In March 2008, a a construction site's crane toppled from East 51st Street into neighboring buildings, killing seven people and causing much damage. A four-story townhouse was leveled by the crane, and owner Jean Squeri has been trying to rebuild it, but now she's been told it can only be three stories. According to the NY Post, back in 2005, Squeri, whose family bought the building in the 1930s, sold the air rights above the brownstone for $2.25 million: "When Squeri informed MUS 1 in September that she planned to rebuild her 4,822-square-foot building, the developer insisted Squeri was limited to building only 3,606 square feet, a full story shorter." Squeri says the documents she signed had incorrect figures for the height of the building and now the 75-year-old has filed court papers asking for permission to build a four-story home. Her lawyer told the Post, "[The developer is] trying to take horrible advantage of someone who's been traumatized." Squeri and her husband had lived on the top floor—the day of the crane collapse, her husband was out and she was running an errand, headed to the drugstore when she turned around and saw the crane decimate the building (neighbors amazingly found their cats, too!).

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By Jen Chung in News on May 10, 2009 11:45 AM

Comments [rss]

PBRK

If the air rights have been sold off then no one is building that extra story. She can sue for damages above the rebuilding of the building to account for the decreased value.

NannyState

They owe her her house back..in total. End of fucking story.

abcohen

100% agreed and the city should totally back her up!!!!

inoyourider

F that.

One of the basic rules of life is to leave things at least as nicely as you found them. If you break something of someone else's you replace it as best you can.

Defending a sleazy developer? Priceless.

Spirit of 76

I think you, Mr Mel and anyone else pouncing on the big, bad developer have it wrong. The impression I got is that the developer she sold the air rights to is not the same developer whose building was being constructed. That building was being developed by James Kennelly. MUS 1 plans to begin construction on a different nearby apartment building using those rights soon, according to the article. While it's nice to root for the underdog, there's no indication that the air rights sale was anything but on the up and up. Besides, the crane collapse wasn't Kennelly's fault, either. It was Rapetti Rigging, the company setting up the crane which tried to cheap out by using worn slings.

Mr Mel

Really, who hired them?

verbal

She can't have her cake and eat it too just because she was the victim of a horrible accident; once she sold off the air rights she gave up the ability to build or re-build to the max allowed for the zone. In terms of air rights she got a nice sum, some people sell for far less looking for the quick buck and realize later on how valuable they are to others.