Snow's Too Much for Rat-Squirrel House

The Rat-Squirrel House—everyone's favorite Cobble Hill eyesore—has been sitting pretty much intact since being slapped with a Vacate notice by the DOB and belted by a protective shed nearly a year ago. Not much has happened. The lawless owner has continued to live there. (How she gets heat, water and electricity, I don't know. I've never seen a light shine inside the decaying building.)

But there's been a lot of snow this winter, and gravity had its way during the most recent storm. The middle section of the long-sagging cornice gave way, spewing out a log of caked soil and debris (no doubt gathered over the course of the last few decades), which now points perilously earthward, icicles and all.

I expected something like this to happen. I just expected it to happen a lot sooner. Strong building.