The bricks started crashing down the chimney into Jillian Jaques' lower Manhattan apartment the day a demolition crew began taking down the parking garage next-door.

"There have been times when I had to hold on to the building because it jolts," the 26-year-old said of the pounding occurring next-door to her apartment at 109 Washington St.

Then, on July 12, came a cinder block landing with a thundering roar on a garbage bin in the building's courtyard. It creased the metal rim as if it were cardboard.

The source of Jaques' problem was the demolition company working next-door - LJC Dismantling. Records show that the firm has racked up 18 city Buildings Department safety violations and four federal job safety citations in the last 18 months.

During that time, LJC jumped from project to project across the city - 10 in all - leaving a trail of havoc in its wake, a Daily News investigation found.
Often the company was cited for causing damage to or disrupting the stability of neighboring properties.

Records show that in various buildings water service was cut off; sidewalks cracked open; bricks fell on the street; a five-story crack showed up on one building's facade and neighbors had to vacate their homes until the demolition was completed.

As the violations mounted, the city Buildings Department repeatedly levied fines against LJC - $28,900 in all. As of last week, the company had paid only $4,000, records show. Three of the 18 violations were dismissed; five are pending.

Rest of the story: Falling bricks & broken walls plague neighbors