Dec. 28, 2022—The owner of a Yonkers, New York, body shop received an unpleasant surprise the Friday before Christmas when the owner of a neighboring business called to let her know one wall of the shop had collapsed and rain and mud were pouring in.
According to News 12 out of Westchester, P and T's Auto Care owner Theresa Boulvin discovered a gaping hole in the side of her business with the bricks that formerly made up the wall collapsed on the shop floor. No injuries or damages to vehicles were reported, but a city inspection determined the building to be unsafe. The hole is temporarily patched with plywood as Boulvin was waiting to determine if she had to shut down.
"It's disheartening. It hurts," said Boulvin to the news station.
Boulvin said that while the hole may be the only visible damage, the structural integrity of the surrounding wall and roof may also be compromised. Last year, the shop suffered damage from Hurricane Ida that included extensive flooding.
"It came up several feet and flooded the whole entire shop out," Boulvin said, leading to concerns about the state of the building ever since.