'I can’t take it anymore.' 95-year-old Bensonhurst woman living in fear after yearslong dispute with granddaughter
Marie Dinicola and her daughter Brenda Clark say a family dispute has spiraled into a yearslong legal fight, leaving them afraid inside their own two-family home.
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A 95-year-old Bensonhurst grandmother who has lived in her home for more than 75 years says she no longer feels safe.
Mary Dinicola and her daughter Brenda Clark say a family dispute has spiraled into a yearslong legal fight, leaving them afraid inside their own two-family home.
They say Dinicola’s granddaughter has taken over the upstairs apartment and is living in extreme hoarding conditions.
According to the family, the smell coming from upstairs became so overwhelming that they had to block off air vents and stopped using air conditioning during the summer.
The family says they’ve been stuck in expensive court battles for nearly seven years, with repeated delays and no resolution.
During that time, they say the granddaughter has been verbally and physically aggressive. Police have been called to the home multiple times.
They also say the granddaughter has never paid rent or utility bills, even leaving windows open during the winter.
“I’m never comfortable here anymore,” Dinicola said. “I should be living in my home peacefully.”
Clark says the toll has been both physical and emotional. They’ve installed security cameras inside and outside the house and added extra locks to their doors.
“We’re both afraid of her,” Clark said. “We want our house back.”
The family’s lawyer, Maria Patelis, says the situation is a form of elder abuse and believes cases like this are more common than people realize.
News 12 reached out to the granddaughter for comment but has not heard back.
