Ross Homeowner Recounts "Surreal" Landslide that Destroyed Part of His Home

There is a smell inside Andy Bencsics’ home that is impossible to miss. 

The smell of damp wet earth, trapped by drywall and carpeting, slowly rotting. 

, the result of a landslide, which started when a portion of Virginia Road, some 150 feet  behind the Bencsics home, collapsed. 

“Thursday night at 8:30 my wife and I were in a different part of house. It sounded like a tree falling, branches falling, and then a rumbling sound, popping, snapping, and then we saw a tree up against the bay window,” said Bencsics. 

“We heard cracking and popping and we came into the family room and saw the wall bowing in with the wall of dirt pushing it. It was surreal because the wall was coming in about an inch every second, so it was slow enough that you could see it coming and it was almost like a horror movie where like the blob is coming and you know it's coming but it's not faster than you are.” 

As the landslide continued to push against their family room, which had been converted from a screened-in porch, Bencsics and his wife didn’t waste a lot of time. 

“We grabbed a couple things, called 911 and the heck out of the house,” he said. 

Four days later, the cleanup continues. Much of the mud and dirt and trees had been removed from the back of the home, and despite the damage to the family room, Bencsics remains somewhat optimistic about the rest of his home. 

“So far, the main structure of the house is okay. We hired a structural engineer to examine everything. This addition that's destroyed may have acted as shock absorber, keeping the landslide away from our main house. That's not a fact, that's an opinion by expressed by several people,” he said. 

The question as to who is responsible remains very much in limbo. 

“On the advice of my attorney I cannot comment on who is responsible, or who is paying,” Bencsics said. 

While Bencsics would not comment, a local insurance agent suggests his homeowner’s policy might not cover the damages. 

“Land movement is excluded from most basic homeowners’ policies in Pennsylvania,” said Donna Martin, and agent and customer service representative for Specialty Insurance in Slippery Rock. 

As for Virginia Road, Ross Township’s insurance carrier is likely staring at a large repair bill. 

“The road is stable right now,” said Mike Funk, director of Public Works. “We have had several engineers examine the situation, but it’s too early to predict when or how the road will be repaired.” 

Virginia Road is owned and maintained by Ross Township. Commissioner Chris Eyster, who lives in the neighborhood, said Friday the township will work with its insurance company to determine how the damages will be covered.

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