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Officials Investigate the Leaning House of Staten Island

By  Nicholas Rizzi and Julie  Shapiro | January 30, 2013 5:04pm | Updated on January 30, 2013 6:13pm

STATEN ISLAND — A two-story home on Staten Island has been leaning sideways for months — and frightened residents called 911 Wednesday because of the danger.

Emergency responders raced to 176 St. Mary's Ave. near Tompkins Avenue just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, after a 911 caller said the house was leaning onto a building next to it, the FDNY said.

The Department of Buildings issued a violation to the owner two weeks ago for failing to maintain the building in a code-compliant manner, according to the DOB website.

The DOB did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday.

A woman who has been renting a first-floor apartment in the home since September said the floors are wavy, sloping up and down.

"When cars go by, you can feel the whole house rattle," said the tenant, who declined to give her name.

Nearby residents said the house has been moving sideways slowly for months, since before Hurricane Sandy.

"It's scary," said Raji Burra, 49, who has lived next to the house for 12 years.