Bus sign replaced about a month after it fell on a pedestrian in front of 246 West Houston Street. Image Credit: Google Maps

Pedestrian injured when bus stop sign fell from metal pole and struck him. On July 17, 2013, at around midnight, John T. Bunn was standing beside his parked car in front of 246 West Houston Street near a bus stop sign marked “W. Houston St & Varick St.” While standing at this location, the sign dislodged from its metal post, fell and struck Bunn in the head, causing him serious injuries. (read more…)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image Credit: Google Maps

Street vendors congregated on sidewalk in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Five disabled veterans regularly operated their sidewalk vending businesses outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. City Parks Enforcement Patrol officers, between 2011 and 2013, issued the vendors 298 summonses for “failure to comply with orders to relocate their vending carts.” The officers claimed that the vendors set up their carts approximately twenty feet from the curb when the State statute limits the vendors to three feet from the curb. The officers claimed that the vendors refused to move back to the curb. (read more…)

The center building, 23-06 Jackson Avenue, features a banner advertisement on top for John J. Ciafone’s law practice. This location was one of the ones in dispute in this case. Image Credit: Google Maps

Building owner advertised his personal law firm on residential buildings that he owned through separate corporations. Attorney John. J. Ciafone has part ownership in four different real estate corporations that own five residential or mixed-use buildings in Queens and Brooklyn. At each of his five residential buildings, Ciafone installed signage on which he advertised his personal law firm. The law firm was separate from the real estate corporation that owned each building. (read more…)

316 Bement Avenue, Staten Island. Image Credit: Google Maps

Homeowner parked construction vehicles, unlicensed cars and construction material in residential district. Rachel Masica parked in the driveway of her residence at 316 Bement Avenue, Staten Island, a commercial dump truck, two Volkswagens without license plates, and, on the front lawn, a trailer. Masica stored a backhoe in her backyard under a tent, along with construction material, combustible wood, ladders, plywood, heavy-duty construction equipment, ladders, and wood planks. The Department of Buildings charged Masica with two Class 2, major violations, one for violating parking regulations in a residential district and the other for maintaining illegal uses in a residential district. (read more…)

The corner building at 136-02 35th Avenue, Queens. Credit: Google Maps

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 multiple violations and posted a vacate order on the building. (read more…)