$70,000 illegal sign fine imposed on garage owner

Fine reduced because owner removed illegal sign prior to first scheduled hearing. Buildings issued Term-Fulton Realty Corp. four notices of violation in connection with an outdoor advertising sign covering more than six levels of its seven-story garage at 54 Fulton Street in Manhattan. The sign remained in place for another ten months, and Buildings issued the owner seven additional NOVs, all noted as second-offense violations.

At a hearing, the owner claimed it had not authorized … <Read More>


Demolition contractor fined $3,400

Contractor left job but work continued under its expired permit. An officer from Buildings issued B & A Demolition & Removal notices of violation for engaging in demolition work with an expired permit, failing to safeguard the public and property affected by demolition operations, failing to post a required Department of Transportation permit, and failing to provide adequate housekeeping during demolition operations. At a hearing, B & A claimed that it had been fired from … <Read More>


NOVs for unstable building dismissed

 

604 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Photo: CityLand.

Board found that owner had been properly monitoring the building. In March 2008, two Buildings officers issued separate notices of violation to the owner of 604 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for failing to maintain the premises in a safe condition. The first NOV noted that the building was leaning one-half to one inch to the south, and a second NOV issued twelve days later noted … <Read More>


Construction fence violation upheld for inactive site

Owner of stalled construction site had an expired construction fence permit. A Buildings officer inspected a construction site owned by Honawatie Kharran after receiving a complaint about a broken construction fence. Although no one was working at the site, the construction fence had an expired permit posted on it. The officer issued Kharran a notice of violation for working without a permit, a violation of the Administrative Code.

At a hearing, Kharran’s contractor said no … <Read More>


Pay phone ads ruled illegal

Franchise holder advertised on public pay phones located in a residential zoning district. The Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications charged Coastal Communication Service, Inc., a public pay phone franchise holder, with displaying advertisements on public pay phones within a residential zoning district. Coastal’s franchise agreement limited the display of advertisements on public pay phones to residential districts where commercial or manufacturing uses were permitted as-of-right.

Coastal argued that DoITT had exceeded its authority by … <Read More>


Document loss defeats NOV

Buildings cited 1974 building plan but could not produce it. Buildings issued a notice of violation to the owner of a building for engaging in work that did not conform to an approved building plan. Buildings stated that the owner extended the building beyond the size specified in a 1974 plan. At a hearing, Buildings stated that it could not locate the 1974 plan and relied instead on a copy of a 1959 plan and … <Read More>