Contractor mistakenly levels Pittsburgh home

[January 05, 2011]  PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A Pittsburgh man's home has been leveled after city officials say a contractor mistakenly demolished it along with a neighboring house.

Homeowner Andre Hall says he'd already replaced the windows and done other work on the long-vacant house in the city's West End neighborhood. But when he arrived to do more work Monday a backhoe was sitting on top of the rubble of his home.

The home had been condemned, but the city had issued an order halting demolition after Hall bought it in November. The head of the city's Bureau of Building Inspection says the house next door was supposed to be taken down, but the contractor demolished Hall's home as well.

The city solicitor's office says it's reviewing the matter. A message left for the contractor was not immediately returned Wednesday.

[Associated Press]

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