New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-24
HIS NEIGHBORS RETALIATE.
MIR. WOLFF'S BACKYARD EXTENSION
CAUSES TROUBLE.
BEAUTIFUL QUADRANGLE, THE ADJOINING
HorsEHoLDERs WALL HIM IN on ALL
sIDEs-JUDGE BARRETT GRANTS
AN INJUNCTION.

AN lNJl lON.
Abraham Wolr. member Of the banking hrm
Of Kuhn. Loeb & Co. OF this city. has been build
ing an extension to his handsome house, No. AZ
West Ninety-frst-st. which is the source OF great
annoyance to his neighbors and has become the
bone of some interesting legal contentious. Mr..
Woln recently purchased a handsome four-story
brownstone front house on the north side of
Ninety-first-st between Central Park West and
coiumbus-ave. 1t Is in an unusually fine neigh
borhood and all the houses in the block on both
sides are owned by well-to-do people.
Few If any. Of the houses have extensions In the
rear excepting little outhouses. which In way
interfere with the light and air OF the reighborlng
dwellings. The result is that the interior OF the
block bounded by Columbus-ave.. Central Park
West. Ninety-frst and Ninety-second SITS. is a
thing OF beauty to behold. or. rather It was until
Mr. Wolff built his extension. The Objectionable
feature about this particular extension is that 1t
covers almost entirely the yard in the OF Mr..
VOLTS house. 1t IS three-story and basement
brick extension and runs back to within four feet
OF the line OF the lot. while 1t borders directly
on tn, dividing line fence the eastern side and
comes to within three inches of the dividing line
on the western side. On the eastern side Mr..
Wolff has built windows. and the result Is that.
while he has scarcely any backyard of his own, he
enjoys an extensive view Of the beautiful back
yards of his nelghbors
NOT TO BE DEFERRED
1t was the common understanding among the
householders in the block that they would abstain
from building any considerable extension in their
backyards In order that the rear view from their
houses might be just lovely and attractive as
the front view In vain did the neighbOrs labor
with Mr.. Wolff to deter him from this project
Mrs Julia Groh the wife Of Mr.. Groh. of the brew
ing firm of Groh & Son. who lives to the west of
Mr.. Wolff, went so far as to offer large sum OF
money To Mr.. Wolff II he would curtail his ambi-
expense but Mr.. Wolff was obdurate She then
offered to build an extension I'm common with his.
which would be OF benefit to them both and would
not interfere with their light and air. Mr.. Wolff
also declined this offer. In vain Mrs Groh pointed
out the fact that II all the people in the block
to follow Mr. VOLTS example in building in their
backyards the block would be worse off in the
matter Of light and air than some of the Forsyth
st. tenements. Up went the three-story brick ex-
tension, and there II stands to-day.
GETTING BACK" AT MR.. WOLFF.
The neighbors. however, had recourse to
venge. Mrs. Groh promptly filed plans with the
Building Department for the erection OF a CORFU
gated iron fence the extreme easterly edge Of
her backyard. It is to be painted black the
eastherly side. or the side facing VOLTS house,
and as 1t is to be thiryfive feet long by twenty
eight feet high and will be within four inches Of
Mr. VOLTS extension. 1t will completely cut off his
beautiful view OF the neghboring backyards on
the westerly side. But this is not ALL The neigh
bor In Ninety -second-st. whose backyard runs
square into that OF Nj. VOLTS also has taken
steps 10 build a corrugate iron fence the rear
line of his yard, which will be twenty five feet
wide by thirty feet high. This will be within four
feet Of the windows of Mr.. VOLTS extension
and Will cOrnlptely off his View that dirpc-
tion. To add TO the complete discontinue and
Of those dwelling in the new extern
sion. the neighbor the easterly side OF Mr.. Wolff
has succeeded In compelling Mr.. Wolf to brick up
all his windows on that side. thus making his
abode little better than a dark cell.
Mr.. Wolff cannot understand why all this fuss
Is being made about his pet extension. He has
ppealed to the courts. and Judge Barrett has
granted an injunction to show why the iron
fence on the Groh premises should be built. The |
Injunction will be argued Thursday.