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Sewage Backup Shuts Down Queens Courthouse

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | October 1, 2015 6:38pm
 Queens Civil Court is scheduled to reopen on Friday.
Sewage Backup Shuts Down Queens Courthouse
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QUEENS — Queens Civil Court in Jamaica was forced to close Thursday after a sewage backup flooded its basement and the stench filled the building, according to witnesses and published reports.

The courthouse, at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., was shut down in the morning, as first reported by the New York Post. A note posted on the entrance said that the building would reopen on Friday, Oct. 2.

The closure frustrated hundreds of people who had their cases scheduled for that day or had other business at the courthouse.

“I came all the way from Brooklyn on the LIRR,” said attorney Lauren Brown who was hoping to file paperwork to “finish up an administration case.” 

A courthouse employee who did not want to be identified said he came to work at 2:30 p.m. and found the building closed. He said he later learned that there was a sewage backup in the basement and the entire building was evacuated.

Crews working on the leak said the backup occurred underneath the street and later affected the courthouse. 

Sam Savs of Ozone Park came to check on a deed to his mother’s house, after he heard someone requested a copy of it and he worried about possible fraud.

“They didn’t have to close the entire building,” said Savs, adding that he is a certified plumber. 

A courts spokeswoman did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.