Homeowner's Historic Residence Disappears While Recovering From Surgery

Phillip Williams left for Florida last December to escape the Long Island winter and undergo knee surgery. He also spent time recovering, then returned home in August. Unfortunately, he found his West Hempstead, Long Island home had been razed to the ground.

All he was greeted with was an empty lot, covered in grass. Mr. Williams, 69, told CBS News "You don't expect to leave and get surgery and come back to find everything gone. I'm outraged. They shouldn't be able to do that. This was preventable. It's unjust and a tremendous disservice to me.”

The historic home was built in the 1920s, and neighbors had complained to local town officials that it was in poor condition and not properly maintained. The town also sent several registered letters to Williams, who said he never saw any of them because he was in Florida recovering from surgery. The property on Garden City Boulevard, Hempstead was demolished in May.

Town spokeswoman Susan Trenkle-Pokalsky said, “Hempstead Town followed all proper procedures with regard to property owner notification relating to proceedings. The structure posed a danger to the public and was taken down in accordance with the law.”

Williams denied that he had abandoned the house and said that it contained his late wife's jewelry, personal possessions as well as trees that his parents had planted in the 1940s.

After learning of the news, one social media user wrote, "Hey Hempstead you just guaranteed this man a nice payout. Instead of Hempstead. He will be moving to harbor town soon enough.” Williams added that he deserves an explanation.

Photo: Daily Mail, Mirror