Woman escapes Germantown home just before it partially collapsed

A Germantown woman whose house partially collapsed on Wednesday said she was worried about the structure for two years but couldn’t get help. The side of the home on East Coulter Street came down around 3 p.m. The homeowner was pulled out by her daughter just 20 minutes before it happened. “I started putting her things in bags and told her we had to go,” she told NBC10. When her mother and neighbors first raised concerns about the property, she said her family hired contractors, who took their money without fixing the problem. Then, they contacted city agencies for help. She said L&I was there on Sept. 14 and issued her mother a violation. She asked them if her mother should leave since the structure isn’t safe, they said they couldn’t tell her what to do. The woman has lived in the home for 36 years. It will likely be demolished by the city. The mayor’s office, Councilmember Cindy Bass’ office, and the Philly Housing Development Corporation told NBC10 they’re looking into the situation. (Photo credit: NBC10)