By Debbie Cohen
By Debbie Cohen
A good deed turned into a neighborhood fiasco when a friend tried to come to the rescue of Kimberly Engel, a Howard Beach resident, raise funds for her Sandy-stricken home.
Complaints made to the city Department of Buildings and to the 106th Police Precinct over the last two weeks stopped the 100th Street home from being turned into a haunted house fund-raiser. It was scheduled to start on the weekend of Oct. 17.
Paul “PJ” Marcel, who lives in Lindenwood, came up with the idea to assist his friend and was stunned when he heard about the complaints, which included two violations listed on the DOB website. The violations are listed as “Illegal Use: Residential Space-Used as Business and “Illegal Commercial/Manufacturing Use in Residential Zone.”
Marcel said he put a huge amount of his own money into the house to make it look spooky and he was going to hire actors from the NY Film School to replicate actors in Halloween movies.
“It seems there are haters in the neighborhood who did not want this project to come into fruition and it’s too bad because I wasn’t going to keep any money,” Marcel said. “I just want to try to help a friend.”
He said he advertised the event for weeks on Facebook, along with the Howard Beach Civilian Patrol, which he is a member of. Marcel was going to charge $10 for tours and give all proceeds to Engel and if someone was not able to afford the fee, he was going to let them in for free.
Engel said it was a good deed that Marcel was planning.
“He called me up and said, ‘I want to do this fund-raiser for you’ and I said sure,” Engel said. “I stayed during Hurricane Sandy and first water rushed in my basement and then into my first floor. FEMA only paid for a furnace, washer and dryer, and a hot water heater. My insurance really didn’t pay much.”
She said she might try to reach out to Build It Back for help, but Engel said she might have to sell her home, which was in her family for more than 20 years, because she cannot afford the thousands of dollars in repairs.
Marcel said he doesn’t think there will be any more attempts at fund-raisers, but he might consider something in the future.
“Engel is living in Pennsylvania now with her daughter and it’s a shame because she can’t afford to put any more money into this house,” he said. “I even arranged insurance on the house in the event of someone getting hurt during the Halloween event.”
Marcel is also known for his bravery during Sandy, when he rescued people in Howard Beach out of their flooded homes with his 1994 M-35 A3 military vehicle. He said he warned everyone a few days before the storm hit, but people didn’t want to listen.
“Next time head the warning of an emergency,” Marcel said. “You never know what can happen, and I can’t save them all, but I am going to try. I am better prepared if there is a future storm – I only wish somehow I can help my friend with raising funds for her house.”
