Owners of damaged homes suing city

Briarwood residents, frustrated and in fear of their safety, are suing the city for damage to their houses so severe that a few of the owners were ordered to vacate their homes over six years ago.
Panagiotis and Omorfoula Treskas’ home on 159th Street is one of ten houses they claim were allegedly damaged by H.H.M. Associates, Inc. and C.A.C. Industries, Inc., construction companies hired to repair sewage pipes in their neighborhood.
The Treskas' came to this country from Greece and through hard work, they achieved the American dream. Now that dream has turned into a nightmare.
Their home, located at 83-48 159th Street, stands side-by-side with three other homes, each empty with a gigantic X signaling their hazardous states. The city issued a vacate order for the Treskas’ home on January 22, 2001 citing &#8220settlement of foundation” and &#8220cracks in exterior masonry.” Huge cracks can be seen along the driveway and the side of the house.
&#8220We are scared,” says Antonia Vasilakos, a neighbor of the Treskas. Although she still lives in her home, there is a sizable crack crossing the wall and ceiling in her front foyer.
Andrew Carboy, lawyer for the Treskas' and five other families, says that the city claims that earthquakes occurring in January of the same year are the reason the houses sunk. However, Carboy has professional seismic reports refuting these claims, and cites long-standing problems with deteriorating and neglected sewage pipes as the cause.
Peter Kreymer, attorney for H.H.M. associates said, &#8220There is no relationship between this broken main and H.H.M’s work on 159th Street, which was completed one-and-a-half years before the broken main was discovered.”
Mark Palomino of the New York City Law department says that due to pending litigation &#8220we cannot discuss the matter.”
Lawyers representing C.A.C. Industries, Inc. construction company did not return phone calls from The Queens Courier.