West Hempstead, NY – A man says his Long Island home was unjustly demolished in May while he was recovering from knee surgery in Florida.
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Sixty-nine-year-old Philip Williams sued Hempstead, saying the town went too far in razing the home and getting rid of his possessions.
But town officials say they made every attempt to reach the man before they knocked the house down. They destroyed the building because they say it violated town code and qualified as a dangerous building.
Officials say they contacted several different addresses associated with the property, including banks and creditors.
Williams says he went to Florida in December, but didn’t forward his mail. He came back in August to see his home gone. His attorney says the town should have done more to contact him.