PITTSBURGH \u2014 An 82-year-old woman could lose her home if she can\u2019t pay to have a massive, 200-year-old sycamore tree removed from her front yard. It has already crushed her sewer line and is threatening to do the same to her neighbors on both sides. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe love the tree – it\u2019s beautiful, but very dangerous, and it\u2019s only going to get worse,\u201d Emma Johnson Byas said. <\/p>\n
The sycamore, which stands 6 feet tall, is Pittsburgh history. It stands on the property that was once the Negleys\u2019 right off North Negley Avenue in Pittsburgh\u2019s East Liberty neighborhood. <\/p>\n
The tree\u2019s decades-old roots are lifting slabs of concrete out of the ground and have left Byas without a working sewer line since January. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t use my shower, I can\u2019t use my dishwasher, I can\u2019t use my washer and dryer,\u201d Byas tells Channel 11. \u201cSo I\u2019m back to basics. Washing up in the bowl sink. Handwashing dishes.\u201d <\/p>\n
It\u2019s also creating a potentially deadly risk. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s poised to fall across Negley Avenue, and this is a major intersection,\u201d Byas said. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how many cars come through here each day. God forbid it should fall and kill someone.\u201d <\/p>\n
The problem is it\u2019s an astronomical bill to have the sewer line repaired, the tree removed, and the 13-foot hole filled in. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe first estimate is $20,000,\u201d Byas tells Channel 11. \u201cNow it\u2019s up to $23,000 just for the plumbing – the tree is another $15,000. I\u2019m on a fixed income. I have to raise the funds to do this because I just don\u2019t have the means to.\u201d <\/p>\n
Neighbors reached out to Channel 11, hoping to get help for Byas, who they say is always there for others. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so lucky because she\u2019s a fabulous neighbor,\u201d Sarah Linder Marx tells Channel 11. \u201cAlways there for us from the day we moved in, and we\u2019re so blessed to have such wonderful neighbors. Hopefully, just as a community, we can come together and make sure everyone\u2019s safe and that her property is as safe and easy to manage as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you want to help Emma Johnson Byas, you can find a link to her GoFundMe here.<\/a> <\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n