Resident at home on Alhambra Drive in Massapequa and neighbors are at odds. Town takes action against what they deemed a violation of local codes. The Town of Oyster Bay is heading to court this month to force a resident on Alhambra Road to abide by local town codes and stop using her single-family home as a rental. The Town is supported by a handful of neighbors who say the woman, Maryanne Marro, 74, is running a boarding house and has become verbally abusive to them and may even be dangerous, claims that Marro vehemently denies.

"I am not renting (rooms) or doing any of the things they say I am," she said in an interview acknowledging only that she did rent out the dock at her home.

Neighbors dispute her claims.

"This homeowner has been renting rooms in her home by the week to strange and scary people for about 30 years," said 17-year resident and neighbor Caren Catinella who grew up around the corner and added that the renters take up precious parking space. "As a parent of four, I worry some of them (renters) could be dangerous so I never let my children sleep with the windows open or let them play outside alone."

After being denied a variance by the Town in 2006, Marro appealed that decision and was eventually allowed to add a dormer to her home.

"Can they prove anything?" asked Marro. "I am just an old lady who wants to be left alone. For 30 years, I never had a problem, now there's a couple neighbors who call the police (on me) almost every day. It's humiliating. They just want me to move, but I will stay here until the day I die."

Despite her claims of innocence, Marro does appear to be violating the law, said Town officials.

"After sending in an inspector and issuing a summons we went to Supreme Court to seek an injunction against this homeowner to cease and desist renting," said Phyllis Barry, a Town spokeswoman. "Now the Town has been given access to the premises at any time to make sure there are no illegal rentals. If it continues, punishment will be more severe on the homeowner, maybe even jail time."

The latest summons was issued on Sept. 17, 2008 after the Town Inspector found signs of illegal renting, such as partitioned rooms, signs of construction and multiple clothes dryers and microwave ovens. She was also issued a summons at that time for having a living fence, bushes, higher than four feet .

Marro, who maintains she is not currently represented by an attorney, is expected to have fines levied against her at the next court hearing.

"She's a disturbingly aggressive person who has told me she'd burn down my house while my family was asleep and made fun of us after our three-year old daughter died," said Catinella who, along with some other neighbors, said that she stands in the street screaming at people, squirting everything with her hose and has even been caught throwing rocks at their homes.

"She's ruined our quality of life," said 15-year neighbor Maury Rosenblum, who added that he has caught her several times peeking from behind her bushes as he works on his yard. "I don't understand what needs to be done to get this woman help. It's unnerving living near her."

"She has accused me of horrible things in front of my kids, like being a drug addict," said another 17-year resident who asked that his name not be used. "She makes everyone's life miserable. Why is this continuing?"

Nassau County's Seventh Precinct declined to comment on the issue saying it was under investigation. A spokesman for the department added, however, that police are aware of problems on that block and and have been at Marro's address many times.