Hurricane Sandy has come and gone, but those lucky enough to have their own homes spared are facing another horrible hurdle: derelict houses acquired by the bank have been left to rot, making the lives of neighbors miserable.
58-year-old Far Rockaways resident Joyce Zoller told DNAinfo that she and her husband will be forced to leave their home—again, after extensive renovations—thanks to the abandoned house next door. Though it's since been acquired by HSBC Mortgage Corporation, the Sandy-ravaged home has fallen into a desperate state of disrepair, with workers arriving every few weeks to clean up the grounds outside, neglecting the inside entirely.
Though it's been deemed uninhabitable for human life, mold and vermin are flourishing within its walls, and Zoller said it's making her sick. An environmental study found that the spore content inside the house was "exceedingly high," which doctors attribute to Zoller's symptoms of wheezing and lightheadedness.
"After 18 months, we're still battling a battle," she told the news site. "I'm tired. My body can't do it, and now I'm forced to leave my house."
Multiple appeals in court and to various city agencies have been met with inaction. Selling the home has proved difficult thanks to, well, the rotting house next door. Zoller, who is in remission from thyroid cancer, said she feels helpless.
"We're just two voices in the wilderness," she said. "We don't have deep pockets or powerful people behind us."
