Babylon house undergoing Sandy repairs falls off risers, tilts and falls

BABYLON, Long Island (WABC) -- A house that was waiting on funding to finish construction after Superstorm Sandy fell off of its risers in Babylon and was severely tilting. Efforts to push it back into position were unsuccessful.

"9 O'clock it just started popping, and a minute and a half later, the house just caved," said Randy Stewart, the homeowner.

Stewart has endured so much since Superstorm Sandy, but no one imagined it would come to this.

"I have cremated relatives in that house," Stewart said.

"And it was just unbelievable. All I could say was, 'Oh my God, oh my God,'" a witness said.

Randy's home, which was elevated for post-Sandy repairs, had broken off its risers and was precariously tilting to the left.

Neighbors, none of them immune to red tape after Sandy, looked on with sympathy for Randy who claims slow funding from "New York Rising" is to blame.

"Cuomo sees this today, this is on him. They promised me $53,000 dollars to continue four weeks ago. I got nothing and it is six weeks later," Stewart said.

"New York Rising" tells a far different story. A spokeswoman says Stewart has received $163,000 to date, including $40,000 at the end of March for this part of the project.

Still, Wednesday's outcome is cringe worthy.

On a block where residents firmly believe bureaucracy for years has brought down one too many houses now.

"Once they lift your house, you're like oh my God, they can tell you next week, they'll be there, and I've seen it with other people, its months and months and months," said Patty Duryea, a Babylon resident.

"The whole program is a mess," Stewart said.