
The center building, 23-06 Jackson Avenue, features a banner advertisement on top for John J. Ciafone’s law practice. This location was one of the ones in dispute in this case. Image Credit: Google Maps
Building owner advertised his personal law firm on residential buildings that he owned through separate corporations. Attorney John. J. Ciafone has part ownership in four different real estate corporations that own five residential or mixed-use buildings in Queens and Brooklyn. At each of his five residential buildings, Ciafone installed signage on which he advertised his personal law firm. The law firm was separate from the real estate corporation that owned each building. (read more…)

Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Image Credit: OATH
OATH to continue virtual operations as COVID pandemic lingers. On April 7, 2020, Chief Administrative Law Judge, Hon Joni Kletter issued an administrative order continuing the temporary suspension and modification of laws related to the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. The order directs that the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings’, the body responsible for adjudicating for all City agencies, remain physically closed until at least May 4, 2020. The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, locally referred to as “OATH,” will accommodate rescheduling requests, and for eligible summonses, provide a telephonic hearing option. To view OATH’s online hearing platform click here.
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7507 Amboy Road, Staten Island. Image Credit: Google Maps
Deli displayed e-cigarette products after City served summons. On May 6, 2019, during a routine inspection, an officer from the Department of Consumer Affairs* served a summons charging violations of City electronic cigarette laws on Tottenville Gourmet Deli & Smoke Shop located at 7507 Amboy Road, Staten Island. The officer saw e-cigarette products on display in a glass case with prices. The Deli did not have a license as an Electronic Cigarette Retail Dealer. (read more…)

Image credit: OATH
Kletter currently serves as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Appointments where she oversees and coordinates candidate recruitment, sourcing, and vetting. On March 13, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Joni Kletter as Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). (read more…)

Anjappar restaurant at 116 Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Image Credit: Google Maps.
A Manhattan restaurant received health inspection during busy hour which resulted in five summonses with $900 penalties in total. Anjappar is an Indian cuisine restaurant located at 116 Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. On July 3, 2018, while the restaurant was preparing a large order, an inspector from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene made an unannounced visit. The inspector observed in Anjappar’s kitchen near an operating stove approximately eight pounds of cooked chicken in metal containers at room temperature. The inspector tested the meat and found it was above the required temperature. The inspector also observed that the waste pipe connected to a dishwasher was contaminated by accumulated grease, and that water leaking from an air conditioner was being improperly disposed of in a bucket on the kitchen floor. (read more…)

Broadway Hotel and Hostel in Manhattan. Image Credit: CityLand
Broadway Hotel sued New York City claiming the Airbnb law was unconstitutional. The City served a summons on the Broadway Hotel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for illegal transient occupancy. The New York City Airbnb law prohibited a class A dwelling from renting out rooms on a temporary basis. The City alleged that the Hotel was a Class A dwelling and was therefore prohibited from renting out rooms on a temporary basis for any period less than 30 days. (read more…)