258 West 97th Street, Manhattan. Image credit: CityLand

Hotel continued to operate transient use despite amendments to the Multiple Dwelling Law. The Royal Park Hotel, located at 258 West 97th St., Manhattan, operates as a transient use hotel. On July 5, 2012, Buildings issued a notice of violation to the Royal Park Hotel charging that it was operating as a transient hotel in violation of its 1964 certificate of occupancy. The 1964 certificate of occupancy classified the building as class A, a multiple dwelling.  Class A requires that the majority of rooms be used for “permanent resident purposes.” (read more…)

Image Credit: NYCourts.gov

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 either obtaining the proper permits for the work already done or removing the violations. Buildings served four additional notices in 2013 charging that Pandora Realty had failed to comply with the Commissioner’s order. (read more…)

94-36 114 Street in Queens. Image Credit: CityLand.

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 building’s certificate of occupancy authorized only a two-family residence with dwelling units on the first and second floors. An additional violation charged that the conversation of the cellar was done without a Buildings permit. The hearing officer found the owner offered insufficient evidence to refute the violations and imposed fines for each violation totaling $2,800. (read more…)

Loft-owner had a freestanding structure in their studio with a suspended ceiling that blocked access to sprinkler system. Marsha Pels owns a studio space at 99 Commercial Street in Greenpoint Brooklyn. In the middle of the studio the owner had a freestanding structure that contained a bed. On May 11, 2012, a fire department inspector observed that the freestanding structure had a suspended ceiling that was approximately 10 feet below the studio’s ceiling where sprinkler heads were installed. The FDNY issued a violation because the suspended ceiling would impede proper operation of the sprinklers in the event of fire. (read more…)

Owner converted a two-family house to a four-family. On May 27, 2009, the Department of Buildings issued four notices of violation to Nashat Estafanous. Estafanous owned a residential property at 25 Simonson Avenue in Staten Island, which he converted, without permits, from a two-family residence to a four-family residence by fitting the attic and newly-constructed garage for occupancy. The NOVs imposed a fine totaling $31,100, and ordered Estafanous to remove the illegal conversion construction or to obtain permits for the construction. (read more…)

Respondent previously relied on an agency email waiving excavation requirements.  On March 11, 2015 a Department of Buildings inspection officer issued notices of violation to Monadnock Construction for thirty building sites along the length of Egan Street in East New York, Brooklyn.  The notices were issued because the construction sites had begun excavation without notifying Buildings and obtaining excavation numbers for each site.  Monadnock contested the notices and argued they submitted the necessary AI-1form to obtain a Buildings waiver of all excavation requirements for the thirty sites.  Monadnock presented an email from a Buildings assistant plan examiner confirming the excavation requirements for “all Egan Street” were waived.  The hearing officer decided in favor of Monadnock, finding they reasonably relied on the Buildings statements.  Buildings appealed.

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