A Long Island family says they've been waiting nearly eight months to get back into their home after an alleged drunk driver slammed through their wall in November.

They're blaming the delay on their town.

Homeowner blames Town of Babylon for reconstruction wait

Just two days before Thanksgiving 2024, Mike Ragno's neighbor crashed his SUV right through the front of Ragno's West Babylon home.

Ragno says it happened just minutes after he put his three boys to sleep, while his wife was out to dinner with friends.

"If anybody was in the kitchen, they would have been crushed," he said.

Since then, the family has been staying in hotels and, now, a rental paid for by insurance while waiting for the Town of Babylon to approve their reconstruction plans.

"Everyone initially was super sympathetic," Ragno said.

But he says that sympathy faded fast.

"Every step of it seems like it has gone slower than it should have," he said.

They first submitted plans in April but were rejected because of a variance issue, Ragno says.

"Apparently they changed one of the property lines in 2008," he said.

Then, Ragno says, he was rejected again because the design extended their kitchen by 4 feet.

"Why does that change it from, hey, a drunk driver destroyed your house? Yes, emergency. Well, you want to move the wall out? Not an emergency," Ragno said.

Babylon blames proposed house extension for delays

Finally on Tuesday, the plans were approved by zoning and submitted to the Babylon Building Department.

Just when Ragno thought he was in the clear, he says the town told him they were dealing with a pile of applications.

"He said, 'Even if I do expediate you, it would still take me three to four weeks,'" Ragno said. "And he was like, 'Well, we are just backlogged.'"

Town of Babylon officials said in a statement that they have "worked diligently" to process Ragno's application, adding:

"While the initial damage was caused by a vehicle strike, the homeowner also proposed a front extension and sought to legalize existing non-permitted structures. This triggered the need for a Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) variance, which by law requires public notice and a 30-day waiting period.

"These additions—not a backlog—were the main cause of delay. The application moved forward promptly within those legal requirements, with the ZBA decision finalized and returned to the Building Division on July 8. The plans now require minor corrections, after which a permit can be issued. We remain committed to helping residents complete work safely and efficiently."

But Ragno doesn't buy it.

"We were like, listen, if [the 4-foot extension] is going to take longer, forget it," he said.

For now, the family is stuck in their rental and stuck in limbo.

Meanwhile, the neighbor who crashed into the home was arrested for DWI. He has since sold his home and moved.

• West Babylon