There goes the neighbourhood: Demolition team turns up at right street, at right time... but destroys wrong house



Fort Worth City contractors admitted blunder

David Underwood and his wife planned to move into Texas property which had been in his family for decades

His house was 9716 Watercress Drive - but the one due to be knocked down was no. 9708



A demolition crew made a spectacular blunder after it arrived at the right residential street, at the agreed time but then knocked down the wrong house.

The property near Lake Worth, Texas, had been in David Underwood's family for decades and belonged to his late grandmother.

But when he visited the house on Saturday, all that remained was a clean slab of concrete.

This is all that remained of a house near Lake Worth, Texas, after city contractors bulldozed it by mistake

The property - at 9716 Watercress Drive - had been in David Underwood's family for decades and belonged to his late grandmother. It is pictured here four days before it was knocked down on July 12

And here's the one that should have been demolished...

No. 9708 Watercress Drive (above) was the home intended for demolition. Like Mr Underwood's house, it had been vacant for some time

Mr Underwood, who works for a company that builds community centres, said: 'We came around Silver Creek looking for the lot and my wife said, "David… I think the house is gone".

'We looked up there and sure enough, it's gone!' he told My Fox Austin .

Fort Worth authorities, which had contracted the demolition team, admitted the blunder.



'On July 12, contractors demolished the wrong property on Watercress Drive.



David Underwood (above) has filed a claim for compensation with the city's risk management department

'The property to be demolished should have been 9708 Watercress Dr.



'The property that was demolished was a vacant structure located at 9716 Watercress Dr,' the city's code compliance office said in a prepared statement.

The confusion may have been due to the fact the Underwood property, a three-bed ranch-style family house, was also vacant at the time.

But that is scant consolation for Mr Underwood and his wife, who planned to refurbish the home and move in.

Among items of theirs destroyed were a desk, some books and an antique mirror.

According to a neighbour, 9708 was condemned and had been awaiting demolition since January.

The same person notified the authorities after seeing bulldozers knocking down the wrong house on Friday morning.



Mr Underwood has filed a claim for compensation with the city's risk management department.