City Announces $4.2 Million Won in Settlement of Three Lawsuits Against Landlord

On October 26, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city has now won around $4.2 million in three lawsuits against Daniel Ohebshalom, a/k/a Daniel Shalom, and his affiliates. This week, the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) won $1.1 million in payments of penalties and fines from a settlement agreement. The city had sued Ohebshalom alleging that he was engaging in tenant harassment and illegal short-term rentals in three buildings in Midtown and Hell’s … <Read More>


HPD Provides Guidance and Safety Tips at Start of 2023-2024 Heat Season

On October 3, 2023, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced the launch of the 2023-2024 heat season. Heat season runs from October 1st to May 31st. During heat season, building owners must maintain specific indoor temperatures depending on the outdoor temperature. Owners must maintain indoor temperatures at 68 degrees when outdoor temperatures are below 55 degrees during the daytime and a minimum of 62 degrees indoors overnight regardless of the outdoor temperature. Hot <Read More>


DOT Announces Declines in Speeding, Injuries and Fatalities in Areas with Speed Cameras During First Year of 24/7 Enforcement

On August 28, 2023, the Department of Transportation announced the results following the end of the first year of 24/7 enforcement of speed cameras. Previously, speed cameras were only allowed to operate weekdays from 6 AM to 10 PM. Around-the-clock enforcement started August 1, 2022 after Governor Kathy Hochul signed the change into state law. The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick. 


City Launches Automated Enforcement Against Overweight Trucks on BQE

On August 7, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the launch of an automated enforcement program for overweight trucks on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). Transportation’s analysis has identified nearly ten percent of all trucks on the BQE as overweight, which can further add to the ongoing structural issues the BQE has experienced over the past few decades.


City Council Votes to Approve Outdoor Dining Plan

After a year and a half since the bill was introduced, the Council finally votes to create a permanent outdoor dining program. On August 3, 2023, the City Council voted to approve Int 31-C, which establishes a permanent outdoor dining program. The program will allow sidewalk cafes to operate annually and roadway cafes to operate seasonally, with removable furniture and decor replacing solid dining shed structures. The program follows the temporary outdoor dining program that <Read More>