Appellate Court Upholds AirBNB Law [UPDATE: Court of Appeals Denies Leave to Appeal]

Court found that DOB letter of objection exception to the Multiple Dwelling law was no longer valid. On March 17, 2016, New York Appellate Court reversed a Lower Court’s Decision and thus denying Grand Imperial LLC’s Petition for a Letter of No Objection to rent its property for shorter than the legally required time period. Grand Imperial LLC owns a Single-Room Occupancy building, located at 307 West 79th Street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, … <Read More>



False Filings Result in Permanent Ban

Licensed PE made multiple false and negligent filings with Buildings. The Department of Building brought an administrative proceeding against Scott Schnall, a licensed professional engineer, alleging that he knowingly or negligently made false statements in eleven alteration applications filed with Buildings between 2010 and 2014. Six of applications were in violation of the Zoning Resolution, the Multiple Dwelling Law, or the Administrative Code. The alteration applications filed related to six properties in Brooklyn.


Waiver Granted To Convert Residential Building to Hotel Use

BSA exercised its authority under the Multiple Dwellings Law to permit the conversion.  On October 28, 2014, the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to grant the applicant, 84 William Street Property Owner LLC, a waiver of court dimension requirements to allow conversion of a mixed residential and commercial building into a transient hotel.  The building is located at 84 William Street in Manhattan’s Financial District, between Maiden Lane to the south and Platt Street … <Read More>


Owner fined $398,550 for alterations

Owner maintained unlawful apartments in the garage, cellar and upper floors of Queens three-story building. In March 2019, the Department of Buildings received a complaint about people sleeping in the cellar of 136-02 35th Avenue in Queens. Buildings’ inspectors obtained access to the three-story apartment building and observed illegal apartments, a cellar did not match plans filed in 1997, and a garage that had been converted illegally into an apartment. Buildings charged the owner with … <Read More>


City Council Unanimously Approves Legislation to Prevent Gas Explosions [UPDATE: Mayor Signs Legislation]

gas explosionsUPDATE: On December 6, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the package of bills to increase gas safety in New York City. “Gas safety is important for all New Yorkers, and this legislative package will resolve numerous regulatory oversights,” said the Mayor. “These reforms will ensure both property owners and utility companies are accountable for keeping buildings safe.”

“In a relatively short time we’ve seen a number of gas explosions take place in the City; … <Read More>