Installation and Disposal of AC Units

Failure to install or dispose of an air conditioning unit correctly can lead to fines ranging from as little as $100 to $1000. It could be hard to survive the summer heat in New York without an air conditioning unit. There are a few tips New Yorkers should recognize about the installation and disposal of air conditioning units. The Department of Buildings has also provided a set of guidelines on their website for the installation … <Read More>


Plumber fined for 159 gas errors

Master Plumber submitted a large number of erroneous gas turn-on requests. The Department of Buildings surveyed all plumbing requests for sign-off and gas authorizations made by New York City licensed master plumbers between April 1, 2016 and October 31, 2016. The inspections by master licensed plumbers should ensure that all the necessary work and inspections have been accomplished prior to submitting a request for turning on the gas. Buildings identified ten licensed master plumbers who … <Read More>


Victoria’s Secret fined $7,200 for signs

Outdoor signs at Herald Square store exceeded the maximum allowable height. Victoria’s Secret, located in Herald Square at 1328 Broadway in Manhattan, maintained three outdoor signs that reached 37 feet above curb level. On November 23, 2015, the Department of Buildings charged Victoria’s Secret with violating the maximum allowable height of 25 feet as set out in Section 32-655 of the New York City Zoning Resolution. The officer charged Victoria’s Secret with three Class 2 … <Read More>


Zoning Challenge Halts Manhattan Tower for DOB Audit

City Council Member and community celebrate after the Department of Buildings halt the construction of an Upper West Side tower. In September 2016, developer SJP Properties filed building plans with the Department of Buildings for the construction of a new 51-story building located at 200 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The plans filed detailed a 642 foot tower containing 583,294 square feet of residential space and 3,016 square feet of floor area on … <Read More>


Owner Fined $18,000 for Basement Conversion

Owner converted basement into additional rental apartment without permit. On December 26, 2012, an inspector from the Department of Buildings served a notice of violation charging that Pandora Realty LLC had without a permit created an apartment in the basement, complete with gas and waste lines. The illegal basement apartment on 201st Street in Queens was being rented at the time. Included with the notice was an order by Buildings to correct the violation by … <Read More>


Owner Fined $2,800 for Illegal Cellar Use

Owner converted cellar into additional living space for his family. Mana Masih owns a two story residence with a cellar at 94-36 114 Street in Queens. The owner converted the cellar level into an additional dwelling unit with three beds in the hall, a three- piece bathroom, a kitchen with a residential sink and gas stove. On November 17, 2015 an inspector from the Department of Buildings served a notice of violation charging that the … <Read More>