By Alexander Dworkowitz
Last week Charlie Knight allowed his two sons and his dog to return to their backyard on 125th Street in College Point for the first time in almost two years.
After the city Buildings Department halted construction on a two-story home next door at 20-29 125th St. in June 2000, a 15-foot deep hole remained just across his property line. Knight said the hole, dug as part of the foundation, often filled with water and spawned hundreds of mosquitoes during the summers as Queens residents worried about West Nile Virus.
“For a year and a half, I couldn’t have my kids go into my yard,” said Knight. “I had to chain my fence closed. I had to build a barricade.”
But construction resumed in October, he said. The renewed project by the Yumei Construction Company, a subsidiary of the First New York Technology Corporation, was not a pleasing sight to Knight, who has filed a $1 million property damage suit against the group.
But Knight got some good news last Thursday when he discovered workers had erected a fence at the edge of his property. No longer fearing his loved ones would fall in the gaping hole, he allowed them to enter the yard.
But for Knight, the recent efforts to make amends are too little, too late.
Knight’s problems began at the end of February 2000, when he returned from a vacation from Las Vegas with his wife, Linda, and his sons, Caleb and Casey, now 13 and 10. Knight discovered construction had begun on a neighboring lot and workers were using his backyard for storage.
Days later, when Knight returned from work, he found the workers had attached the new home’s foundation to the north side of his house. He called the Buildings Department, which issued a stop work order, but the contractor did not comply until June of that year.
According to Knight, the men continued to work on the house while constantly trespassing on his property. The construction workers, who Knight said did not speak English, left only a six-inch gap between the two homes, blocking one of Knight’s windows.
“These people stood on the roof of my house,” said Knight, “with me in it! When the police came, they would literally step back on the other side.”
The Buildings Department violations added up, and Knight continued to complain. In the spring of 2000 he filed a $1 million lawsuit against Orient and its parent company, the First New York Technology.
First New York Technology filed a countersuit charging Knight’s action was racially motivated, but the case was dismissed.
Knight’s case has not been settled.
In June 2000, with the cement and brickwork complete, Orient stopped working on the property.
In the last week or so work on the site stopped again. The property displays four Building Department permits, issued in January and February, allowing construction.
But Ilyse Fink, a Buildings Department spokeswoman, said 18 pending and overdue violations remain against the project. Moreover, she said a stop work order has been issued.
“They should not be working there unless they are doing cleanup or safety construction,” said Fink.
Hsuen Sho Tao, whom the Buildings Department listed as one of the owners of First New York Technology, confirmed that men from Yumei Construction, another subsidiary of First New York that has replaced Orient Construction, have recently been working on the project.
But Tao said his workers were no longer in violation.
“There is no violation. Everything is clean,” he said.
“Why is he complaining?” he asked of Knight.
Knight said the recent spurt of construction had slowed since Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) got involved in his case.
“We came here. We found College Point,” said Knight. “We really like it because it’s such a neighborhood, such a community. We brought this house, we got a dog, we decided to have babies.
“Now I hate going out in my yard.”
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 141.
