Demanding Answers: Yonkers Man Says Contractor Ruined 100-Year-Old Rock Wall
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A frustrated Westchester County homeowner said Tuesday that he was tired of getting the runaround.
The homeowner says a construction crew hired by the City of Yonkers damaged his 100-year-old rock wall last month. So he called CBS2's Brian Conybeare, who was demanding answers Tuesday night.
"This wall has been absolutely pulverized," said Frank Giannettino.
You can see right through the three-foot thick, century-old stone wall outside Giannettino's historic home in Yonkers.
"All I asked for was to pave our roads -- for four years," Giannettino said.
Giannettino said he was happy to see trucks hired by the City of Yonkers to repave Cedar Lane in the leafy Cedar Knolls neighborhood last month. But on Aug. 18, there was trouble.
"The machines that they were doing battered the wall and broke the beam that was on the road," he said.
The protective steel beam is now gone, and the wall has been knocked its foundation and up against a huge tree. Now, nearly a month later, Giannettino said nobody has taken responsibility to pay for repairs.
"City Hall blames the contractor. The contractor blames City Hall," Giannettino said.
No one at Yonkers City Hall would answer CBS2's questions on camera, but they did confirm the damage was done by their contractor and said it is up to that contractor to make good on the repairs.
So CBS2 went to Montesano Brothers Contracting in New Rochelle, but no one would open the door.
One of the company owners, Frank Montesano, called Conybeare later – admitting that the "paving machine malfunctioned" and it the wall and they will fix it. He said he himself was "appalled that it took so long" to get the homeowner an answer.
Giannettino still fears the unstable wall could tumble onto his neighbors' property below.
"That can collapse and go into this woman's driveway and car," he said,"and God forbid her grandkids are out there playing."
That is why Ginannettino is desperate for repairs to be done as soon as possible.
After CBS2 started making calls, the contractor has now agreed to have his crew repair the wall next week.