Owner fined $398,550 for alterations

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 … <Read More>


Public urination violation sustained

Individual claimed medical condition as a defense for public urination violation. A subway rider stepped off the subway car at 12:30 a.m. when he felt the sudden need to use a restroom. The rider proceeded to the station’s restroom, but found it to be locked. When the rider could not locate another public restroom, he walked to Lippmann Plaza and urinated on the tree bed in front of a McDonald’s at 136-61 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens. … <Read More>


Pedicab driver fined $500

A pedicab driver refused to stop and dragged a Park Officer approximately 40-60 feet on his pedicab. On May 9, 2018, Bent Greenberg, a pedicab driver, was stopped by two Park officers for soliciting customers in a prohibited area outside Tavern on the Green, Central Park at 67th Street, Manhattan. Officer Moye approached Greenberg and asked for his identification papers. Greenberg told the officers he was leaving and began peddling. Officer Moye tried to … <Read More>


Street discharge pipe grandfathered

Queens home discharged storm water onto the street through a pipe beneath the sidewalk. Janet Yan owns a home located at 341 Richmond Road in Queens that was built in the 1930’s. A pipe that passed under the sidewalk discharged storm water out to the curb from the house drain. The water flowed into the street and could potentially freeze, creating a slipping hazard to the public. The Building Department charged Yan with failure to … <Read More>


Bridge delay claim denied

Tutor Perini sought §22,941,971.68 for a two-year delay caused by a court injunction. In 2013, Tutor Perini Corporation entered into a $102 million contract with the Department of Transportation to replace the City Island Road bridge that spans Eastchester Bay between the Bronx and City Island. A state court injunction delayed the construction of the bridge for two years and forced the redesigning of the bridge.


Summons for no permit for window work dismissed

Neighbor alleged installation of windows in adjacent property interfered with use and enjoyment of his property. A disgruntled property owner claimed that his property was adversely affected when a neighboring building owner, 155 Meserole, LLC, installed new windows on its building. Leonard Sloninski, who owned the property adjacent to the 155 Meserole, LLC, complained to The Department of Buildings that the new windows lowered the value of his own building and prevented him from enjoying … <Read More>