All it would take is an emergency order from the DOB that the site(s) have become structurally unsound and they faced a hostile environment that would endanger engineers to determine alternate methods of structurally securing it. That, with the fact it'd take several police officers to guard the premises while they proceeded with further assessment. If they hadn't filled it in or opted not to what would be keeping them from undermining it again? It's not unusual for a cement truck to show up, maneuver a conveyer through a basement window. It happens all the time around me with these college houses. The investors buy them up and put bedrooms in the basements. They aren't suppose to but they do, I don't know how they get away with it time and again, up to and including digging the basement deeper to fit height requirements. They must be telling inspectors they are adding storage or recreation areas. They do put in egres windows for emergency escape. You go on Yelp and you'll see college students who were unhappy with American Reality telling stories of how they were told to hide their mattresses or take them out when inspection time rolls around. Personally I hate to see what these houses will look like in fifty years, not that I'll be around another fifty. They look good now, raise the value of my house, but fifty years down the road can be a different thing.

As far as Maxwell goes that doesn't surprise me at all she's tried to convert herself back to her family's background of religion. She's doing it it sounds like to get out of doing things that are, and always have been, beneath her. Scrubbing toilets isn't part of her repertoire.

As far as the mattresses in the wall I don't find that particular odd given they were illegally squatting down there. Just like any other building coming up for an inspection they'd probably take the mattresses and hide them behind paneling. Not that I am saying no unsavory things weren't going on down there, they seemed like a radical bunch of religious zealots whom the only women who'd even stay with them would be one's who'd been indoctorinated into believing they had no choices as women, or girls. I am sure if the walls could talk we'd be hearing some pretty harsh stuff.