Local school affiliation a requisite for building permit. In 1998, Gregg Singer purchased PS 64 from the City, subject to the restriction that the property be used for a community facility. Singer then applied to the Department of Buildings to replace the PS 64 building, located at 609 East 9th Street, with a 19-story dormitory. Buildings asked Singer to provide a lease or deed with an educational institution to prove his proposed building was … <Read More>
Search Results for: Illegal Conversion
Council seeks to halt spread of illegal hotels
- The Bronx County Courthouse’s green roof, funded by the Bronx Initiative for Energy and the Environment. Photo: The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.
Proposal would increase fines for illegal conversions of residences into hotels. On December 3, 2007, the City Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings held a public hearing on a proposal to increase fines on building owners who illegally convert residential units, especially rent-regulated ones, into hotel units.
Council Member Gail Brewer sponsored … <Read More>
Owner fined for not removing unused illegal unit
Vacant illegal unit added by a previous owner. Buildings charged Jose Hernandez for maintaining an illegally converted third unit in a two-family dwelling. The cellar of Hernandez’s building was converted prior to his ownership into a separate living unit – including a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen area with a gas line – in violation of the Administrative Code. At the hearing, Hernandez acknowledged the existence of the third unit, but argued that the unit pre-existed … <Read More>
DOB Announces Homeowner Relief Program
Violations for illegal conversions or violations associated with injury or death will not qualify. On September 1, 2021, the Department of Buildings announced the first homeowner relief program in New York City to help property owners of one- and two-family houses. The program’s goal is to help small property owners avoid fines by giving them time to fix DOB violations. The program has education initiatives for homeowners about their legal requirements as property owners without … <Read More>
Fines enforced against building owner
Tenant advertised apartment for transit use on Airbnb; building owner charged. On May 2, 2019, Building Inspector Botticelli, in response to a complaint, visited 280 Mulberry Street, Manhattan, owned and operated by 280 Mulberry Realty, LLC. Inspector Botticelli was given access to apartment 2E by four guests from France staying there who had gained access to the apartment by making a reservation on Airbnb.com from April 26 – May 6, 2019. The tenant of apartment … <Read More>
Buildings Releases Interactive Map on City’s Buildings and Construction Sites
The map provides a 12-month snapshot of building permits, complaints, inspections, violations, and accident reports for every property in the city. On March 8, 2019, Buildings released the DOB Buildings Profiles Map, a new, interactive map that provides insight into Buildings’ interactions with the nearly 1.1 million buildings and 45,000 active construction sites it regulates. The map is Buildings’ latest tool in a series of interactive dashboards, reports, and data tools to give the … <Read More>