Buildings made initial error in not issuing building permit. In 2003, Hamida Realty sought plan approval from the Department of Buildings for two, three-family homes on two adjacent lots that would share a foundation and a common wall. Buildings approved the plans, but Hamida waited over a year to apply for permits. When it applied, Buildings granted the permit for one building, but held the second permit, erroneously requiring Hamida to submit a site safety … <Read More>
Search Results for: Queens
City to pay $9 million for Queens waterfront property
Court rejected City’s lower valuation. As part of its plan to develop a waterfront park, the City in 1996 condemned waterfront property in College Point, Queens owned by Malba Cove Properties, Inc. A majority of Malba’s property is underwater and the remainder is constrained by several mapped, but unbuilt streets.
At the trial to determine the property’s value, the City submitted an appraisal estimating the total value at $890,000. Malba’s appraisal found it to be … <Read More>
5Pointz Artists Awarded $6.75 Million for Destroyed Artwork
After destruction of legendary 5Pointz artwork, artists receive substantial monetary award. On February 12, 2018, graffiti artists of the legendary 5Pointz site were awarded $6.75 million in damages for the wrongful and willful destruction of 45 works of art that once were displayed on the five-story buildings. The award comes after nearly five years of litigation between the graffiti artists and the owners of the 5Pointz buildings in Long Island City, Queens. To read CityLand’s … <Read More>
No sidewalk shed violation at stopped job
Buildings cited unsafe conditions at inactive construction site and served construction supervisor. Dennis Chen, the construction superintendent of a construction project located at 35-03 Leavitt Street, Queens, was responsible for safety on the construction site. In 2014, the project stalled because of inaccurate design calculations. On March 23, 2016, the Department of Buildings served construction superintendent Chen with three summonses relating to hazardous conditions at the construction site. The issuing officer observed a hazardous gap … <Read More>
Fined $47,400 for unlawful conversion
Owner converted two-family Queens home into a six-family residence. Jimming Zhao owns a residential building located at 143-10 Beech Avenue, Queens with a certificate of occupancy for a one or two-family dwelling. On October 17, 2016 an inspector from the Department of Buildings visited the premises and found the residence altered and occupied by six families. The second floor had four single room occupancies and the first floor had two single room occupancies.
Triton Structural Concrete Failed to Reserve $790,125 Claim
Contractor hired to repair Hurricane Sandy damage failed to list dispute when seeking time extensions on project. In 2009, the Department of Design and Construction awarded Triton Structural Concrete, Inc. a $105,003,443 contract to rebuild and repair various beachfront structures in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The contract required Triton to install prefabricated modular buildings on driven pile foundations along several sections of the beachfront.