PITTSBURGH -- Landslides dating back to January 2005 have been worrying a dozen homeowners -- half on Flemington Street above the problem and half on Beechwood Boulevard below it -- along the Greenfield and Squirrel Hill border.

"None of us can sell our house, I'm sure. We've lost at least 10 feet of our back yards down the hill," said one homeowner.

The city cited and sued the owners of the rental property -- Charles and Dorothy Bupp of Beaver County -- for not cooperating with neighbors and giving consultants access to their property to fix the problem. "There are 11 property owners prepared to commit serious funds to the tune of $12,000 to $15,000 a piece to remediate this, and we have one lone holdout," said neighbor James McQade.

"The very possibility of heavy rains and continuous rains such as we've had the last week is really quite frightening in this situation, because according to the consultant, that's what caused it in the first place. And it's very likely that there will be a repeat," said Deputy City Solicitor George Specter.

After testimony, a district magistrate fined the Bupps $22,000 for "failure to abate hazardous conditions," as well as $600 for every day they continue to do so.

Their son, Michael Bupp, said he doesn't think the city is being fair.

"They're an elderly couple. They're great people. They've worked hard all their lives for what they have. This house was supposed to provide a cushion for them for their senior citizen years," Michael Bupp said.

Bupp said he is upset that Councilman Doug Shields championed the cause of the 11 neighbors and labeled his parents absentee landlords.

"If the man would pitch in the money and let us on his property to do what they have to do, the engineering company, and solve this problem, that would be great," said neighbor Gary Moser.

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