Not so great wall divides; Feuding neighbor story makes The Paper

By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper

Tear down that wall, Mr. Cunningham — or is it Mr. Moore?

That was the refrain from a chorus of residents who came to last Monday’s Community Board 10 meeting to support a man who claims he is being terrorized by his mysterious next-door neighbor.

The unneighborly spat goes back more than five years, but this cold war recently went nuclear after Robert and Cheryl Cunningham began building a 60-foot-high cinderblock wall at their home at 123 87th St. The wall is only inches from their neighbors at 127 87th St., Matthew and Jean Gershon.

Needless to say, the wall didn’t go over well with the Gershons.

“It is blocking our windows and we can’t get light or air,” said Matthew Gershon. “We are asking for someone to help us stop him.”

More than 40 people showed their support at the meeting, at which Gershon spoke at length about the situation on his block.

“In May 2006, workers removed wooden plants from our yard and broke our kitchen window,” he said. “The Cunninghams have aggressive dogs, which defecate on our property, and are rude at every chance they get.”

The Department of Buildings’ Web site lists 44 complaints against the Cunninghams’ property. One 2002 violation for working without a permit remains open.

A spokeswoman for the department said that the wall appears to be legal, given the existing zoning. But the spokeswoman, Kate Lindquist, added that “in light of the community’s concerns, we will audit the permit application again.”

That wasn’t enough for Gershon. “This guy has all of these violations, and we are being brushed off,” he said. “When is enough, enough?”

Enough may already be enough, according to the man who lives at 123 87th St., who told The Stoop that his name was not Cunningham, but “John Moore.” He invited this reporter into the house and talked about the situation, saying that he was the one being terrorized by an “insane” neighbor.

Department of Finance records show that “Moore’s” property is indeed owned by the Cunninghams. There is no mention of a John Moore in city records.

Still, “Moore” said he doesn’t understand why everyone is upset with him, and that the wall is simply the beginning of a house being built on a lot he claims not to own. City records, though, show that there is no lot between his and the Gershons’.

“I don’t know why people think I am the owner of this property,” the man said, while giving orders to the men building the structure on the property. “I am just the victim of one man’s craziness.”

Moore pointed to video cameras and high-powered spotlights that he says Gershon had directed at his property.

“That crazy man shines those lights at my bedroom window so we can’t sleep,” Moore said. “He also likes to videotape what is going on inside of my house.”

But if the CB10 meeting was any indication, residents along the quiet tree-lined block between Ridge and Colonial avenues shared one unanimous opinion: that the man living at 123 87th St. was bad news — regardless of what he called himself.

“He has been known to use aliases,” said neighbor Angelo Biondo who lives three houses down. “Everybody knows this man compromises the integrity of our neighborhood.”

Another neighbor, Charles Miller, said he expected the large turnout at the board meeting, “because our neighborhood has seen enough.”

Still, there must be a chance for a diplomatic resolution to this stand-off? No, not really.

“I have had enough of this crap,” Moore said. “I am looking to move away soon.”

Moore didn’t say where he would go, but it would certainly come as a relief to Gershon, so long as Moore makes sure to take his wall with him.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Gershon said.