East Flatbush retiree says construction next door has damaged her home, disrupted quality of life

A retired East Flatbush woman says construction happening next door is disrupting her quality of life and causing extensive damage to her home.

Grace Hackett has lived at 684 Hawthorne St. for three decades. She says construction happening inside of 680 Hawthorne St. right next door is causing the walls of her home to crack and she’s worried about what might happen next if the construction isn’t managed properly.

Both the homes share a wall.

Hacket says that the constant loud banging and drilling that comes from her neighbor’s home has become the least of her concerns as she is now worried that her walls may collapse on top of her.

There are now cracks in the walls of her son’s bedroom. She said they showed up shortly after major construction began in her neighbor’s home.

Hacket says she has reached out to attorneys, elected officials, and even the NYPD to have the issue resolved.

She spends her days teaching music to children, but she hasn’t even been able to do this since construction began next door.

According to Hackett, the Department of Buildings says that despite numerous attempts, it has not been able to enter the 680 Hawthorne St. residence in order to assess what sort of permit is necessary for the level of demolition crews are working on.

Meanwhile, Hackett says her home and her life are in jeopardy.

News 12 reached out to the person identified as the contractor for the building next door. He denied being the contractor for the property and told News 12 there is in fact no construction happening.