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Monessen House Appearing To Be Held Up By Ratchet Straps Concerns Neighbors

MONESSEN, Pa. (KDKA) - When it comes to ancient ruins, there's the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Rome has the Colosseum. And Monessen has a house that appears to be held up by ratchets.

Neighbors say the house on Ninth and Marguerite Avenue was gutted by a fire around December of last year.

ratchet strap house
(Photo Credit: KDKA Photojournalist Jim Cahalan)

But what makes the burnt-out blight an eye-opener is the fact that over the roof, through the windows and all around, it appears to be held up by way of ratchet straps connected to dumpsters. It's nearly impossible to miss between the caution tape and web of high-strength straps.

Having sat for months, the court ordered the building demolished.

KDKA's Ross Guidotti spoke to officials in Monessen, and it turns out the straps aren't to necessarily hold it up, but to eventually tear it down. KDKA tried to contact the owner of the home as to when the building was going to meet the wrecking ball and is waiting for a reply.

In the meantime, neighbor Tosha Arnold plans on keeping her kids as far away from the structure as possible.

The mother of two young sons says: "You can look at the top and see it's not going to be there much longer. That house is going to fall eventually, I just hope something is done before anyone gets hurt."

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