Rocky Point Residents Worried About House Falling On Them

ROCKY POINT, N.Y. (CBSnewYork) - Worried that a house might fall on them, residents in one Long Island community are demanding action.

Just like in "The Wizard of Oz", Rocky Point residents say they fear being crushed by a falling house, a condemned vacant house teetering on the edge of a cliff worn away by erosion.

"I have a young son, i can't come down here and have a good time," Douglass Morrow told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan.

They're demanding the property be demolished by either the town or the bank that took control in a foreclosure.

"There's plenty of kids on the beach that walk the sand dunes and it can collapse any time soon," nearby resident Kevin told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs. "It's a real issue. There's landslides that come with that."

Local officials told CBS 2 that as the summer approaches the risk increases.

"Our concern is, as we approach graduation season that the youngsters are going to come and party, and takes risks," said North Shore Beach Property Owners Association spokesman Desmond Butler, "It's scary if anybody steps off this edge."

The Brookhaven Town Council said that steps have been taken to protect the public, but that more needs to be done.

"We've condemned it, we have deemed this structure unsafe, and between the community and the town, there's been so much pressure on the Bank Of America to move forward," said Jane Bonner.

Bank of America said it doesn't yet have the legal authority to demolish the house.

"Foreclosure has not been completed, the property is not yet in our legal control. We have requested a bid for demolition," a bank spokesperson told CBS 2.

The bank added that they still need the absentee property owner to grant permission for demolition.

In the meantime, most of the back porch has already collapsed hundreds of feet to the beach below.

"They just need to get it rectified," Kevin said. "it's a hazard."

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