City not liable for injury by tree root

Man tripped on a sidewalk that was raised because of growing tree roots. On March 5, 2017, Konstantinos Gallis tripped and fell on a raised part of a sidewalk adjacent to 23-21 33 Road, Queens. Tree roots had raised the sidewalk and allegedly caused the trip.


Fine of $107,000 imposed

Owner of Queens apartment illegally converted two family residence into an SRO and added an attic apartment. On November 12, 2019, a Department of Buildings officer visited a two-family dwelling in Jackson Heights located at 33-17 87th Street, Queens. A resident let the officer into the home. Inside, the officer observed key-locking devices for three rooms on the second floor with hot plates inside each room. The residents of the rooms on the second floor … <Read More>


Contractor liable for property damage

Contractor damaged neighboring building while excavating vacant lot in preparation for building parking garage. LIC Contracting, Inc. was hired by a company that owned a vacant lot located at 211-02 and 211-04 Northern Boulevard in Queens to construct a three-story commercial building with two-level underground parking on the premises. The project required that the lot be excavated to construct the parking structure.


Homeless project survives challenge

A not-for-profit proposed to convert two buildings in Ozone Park into homeless services facilities. In July 2016, Common Ground Management Corporation, a not-for-profit organization, applied to the City of New York for approval of a homeless shelter and services project. The non-for-profit organization intended to convert two multistory adjacent buildings in Ozone Park into temporary housing for homeless adults that would provide medical and psychiatric services, meals, laundry, and showers for stays of up to … <Read More>


Advertising sign claim denied

Building owner challenged loss of advertising rights. In 1998, Astoria Landing purchased an existing four-story apartment building located in a residential zone at 24-59 32nd Street in Astoria, Queens. The building’s previous owner had obtained a permit to display commercial advertisements and begun to display advertisements in the 1940s. In 1961, the City adopted new zoning rules which banned the display of advertisements in residential areas. In 1981, the Department of Buildings erroneously renewed the … <Read More>


Private elevator safety law upheld

Owner of private elevator failed to perform annual safety inspections. Lisa Neuman is the owner of a single-family home located at 84-40 Avon St., Jamaica Estates, New York. A private elevator has been present in Neuman’s home since the 1990s.  Beginning in 2011, Neuman began receiving yearly notices from the Department of Buildings for failing to perform annual elevator safety inspections in violation of §28-304.6.1 of the Administrative Code, which became effective in 2008. Under … <Read More>