Work Without a Permit Penalties Will Increase February 15

NYC Department of Buildings will increase civil penalties for work without a permit. This new rule will cost New Yorkers thousands of dollars and goes in effect on February 15th.

Despite advertising and efforts of local political activists to educate homeowners and businesses on how to oppose the rule, there were no comments submitted before or during the hearing. This is especially strange for a city where one of the most common violations is work without a permit.

When a violation respondent starts resolving a work without a permit complaint, there is always a penalty imposed by NYC Department of Buildings. - Say experts at BuildingViolation.com - “This penalty is in addition to a penalty imposed by ECB Environmental Control Board, performed by OATH – Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. “If you bought the building.

Every sections of the Subdivision (b) that contained penalties, has been amended. "The penalties for unpermitted work performed on a one-family or two-family dwelling is now $600, instead of $500. The penalties for unpermitted work performed on any other building has gone up to $6,000, instead of $5,000." - states the new code.

In addition to the increases in penalties, the Department of Buildings has added an important code change which states that within one (1) year after the Department imposes a penalty for work without a permit against (i) a building or (ii) a part thereof (if the owner of such part is not the owner of the building), the civil penalty for any subsequent violation related to work without a permit on the building, or a part thereof, is two (2) times the penalty that would otherwise apply for such violation, not to exceed the maximum allowable penalty.

Experts at Building Violation LLC have calculated that a penalty of as much as $6000 for commercial and multi-family work without a permit can be imposed by DOB; and with a new rule the penalty will double for violations older than one year!

With today's average cost of $4,500 to obtain permits, remove illegal plumbing in a commercial or residential building, administering final inspections, attending hearings, and certifying corrections- it may now cost as much as $20,000 to resolve an illegal bathroom or illegal kitchen, if violation is older than a year. DOB held a public hearing on the proposed rule on November 26, 2018.