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New Pa. bill aims to hold contractors accountable for properties they damage in construction accidents

The legislation would require contractors to obtain a $500,000 surety bond for each property that adjoins a construction site. A contractor would be required to use the bond to cover any damage that occurs to neighboring properties.

A view from Thompson and Berks Streets where the Klenk family home once stood in Fishtown. The family, who had owned the home for nearly 60 years, had to rush out of their home in February — kicking down the front door — after a contractor working without proper permits in the house next door destroyed the properties' shared foundation wall. Both properties had to be demolished by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections.
A view from Thompson and Berks Streets where the Klenk family home once stood in Fishtown. The family, who had owned the home for nearly 60 years, had to rush out of their home in February — kicking down the front door — after a contractor working without proper permits in the house next door destroyed the properties' shared foundation wall. Both properties had to be demolished by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer