Seven-Foot Deep Illegal Excavation Found in Backyard of West Village Townhouse

WEST VILLAGE, NY — A seven-foot deep illegal excavation was discovered by the Department of Buildings Excavation Unit in the backyard of a landmark West Village townhouse last week.

On Aug. 29, inspectors responded to a complaint of excavation work in the backyard of the four-story townhouse at 35 Perry St.

Investigators discovered day laborers were working under the trench in the yard without a permit or design plans onsite and that the work undermined the building's footings and underpinning. The employees eventually provided the Excavation Unit and the FDNY with access to the basement.

The stop work order issued by the DOB on Aug. 30 was partially rescinded on Aug. 31 to complete "emergency work under direct supervision of engineer of record," according to city records.

Investigators observed a blue tarp covering the trench, which they deemed an immediate critical threat to public safety. There were numerous safety violations found throughout the backyard, such as a false canopy covered in astroturf to look like there was solid ground where the digging occurred, debris scattered throughout the yard, and a lack of guardrails.

“This case shows the depths to which bad actors will sink, or in this case dig, to evade the law. This illegal excavation greatly endangered the lives of workers and the public, and could have triggered a deadly collapse bringing neighboring properties down with it,” Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler told Patch.

Property owner Joseph Ienco told NY Daily News he created the fake backyard to "be in peace with the neighborhood."

“People have done this for ages. You camouflage for a lot of reasons. You want to protect the guys working underneath from rain,” Ineco said in the article. “You make it look nice. Nobody likes to look at an ugly construction site all day.”

Photos courtesy of NYC Department of Buildings