Owner ordered to restore and maintain landmark

Owner of Skidmore House allowed it to fall into state of disrepair. Skidmore House, a 159-yearold Greek revival residence located at 37 East 4th Street, was designated as an individual landmark in 1970. Since acquiring Skidmore House in 1988, the owner, 10-12 Cooper Square, Inc., neglected to maintain it and ignored several requests by Landmarks to repair it. After the roof collapsed in 2002, Landmarks sued the owner to return the landmark to a state … <Read More>



Mayor Signs Executive Order for Small Business Violations Reform

The executive order requires agencies to evaluate their most common summonses issued. On January 4, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams signed the “Small Business Forward” Executive Order to help small businesses face fewer fines and penalties as they continue to recover from the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The executive order requests that agencies like the Department of Buildings, Fire Department, Department of Consumer Worker and Protection, Department of Sanitation, Department of Environmental Protection and <Read More>


City Council Passes Legislation to Require Certain Agencies to Enable Inspectors to Issue First-Time Warnings

The bill enables inspectors to check if violations have been issued in the past. On November 23, 2021, the City Council passed Int. 167 B-2018, a bill aimed at providing small businesses with relief from hefty fines and penalties for certain violations by making it easier for agencies to issue first-time warnings. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Alan Maisel. 


Landmarks Votes to Designate Harriet and Thomas Truesdell House as Individual Landmark

The designation retains its historical significance despite having alterations. On February 2, 2021, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to designated the Harriet and Thomas Truesdell House as an individual landmark. The house, located at 227 Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn, recognizes abolitionists Harriet and Thomas Truesdell and the City’s abolitionist movement. For CityLand’s prior coverage of this designation process, click here.


Owner Fined For Tenants’ Illegal Sublets

Tenants rented apartments for transient use without owner’s knowledge. Pamela Equities Corp. owns and operates a building with 94 apartments located at 132 East 45th Street, Manhattan.  On October 23, 2014, the Department of Buildings served Pamela Equities with a notice of violation for illegal conversion of apartments 4G and 9C from permanent residences to transient use.  Following a hearing, the Environmental Control Board imposed a civil penalty of $5,800 and an additional discretionary … <Read More>