For Immediate Release:
March 29, 2018
CONTACT: dobcommunications@buildings.nyc.gov,
(212) 393-2126

DOB ISSUES MONTHLY ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN

Report Highlights DOB Enforcement Outcomes from February 2018 That Will Deter Bad Actors and Keep New Yorkers Safe

New York, NY – The New York City Department of Buildings today released its monthly enforcement bulletin for February 2018, which gives highlights of the agency’s actions to sanction and deter bad actors in the construction industry through the enforcement of safety laws and codes of conduct for construction professionals. Today’s bulletin is the third installment in a series of monthly summaries of DOB-imposed disciplinary actions, including issuing penalties, license suspensions, and revocations.

The actions below represent a portion of DOB’s overall work to enforce the City’s building codes and safety laws, in addition to the thousands of inspections conducted and violations issued by the agency each month for illegal building and construction conditions.

DOB took multiple major enforcement actions in February against bad actors in the construction industry, including:

• A total of 67 violations and $444,575 in penalties, including daily penalties, issued for illegal building alterations on 25 separate occasions.

• A total of 39 violations and $249,950 in penalties, including daily penalties, issued for illegal transient use of buildings at 8 different locations.

• 35 violations and $425,000 in penalties issued for failure to safeguard construction sites on 32 separate occasions.

• 18 violations and $195,000 in penalties issued to 15 different individuals for failure to carry out duties as construction superintendents.

Below are individual enforcement highlights for February 2018:

• $49,800 in penalties issued to Clinton Green North LLC, for the illegal transient use of six residential units at 515 West 52nd Street, Manhattan, also known as 779 10th avenue.

• $42,000 in penalties issued to building owner Carolina Bartholomew for illegally altering the property at 119-64 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Queens, from a two-family home to a six-family home.

• $23,200 in penalties issued to building owner Chuan Ying Xu for the illegal conversion of 83-08 Grand Avenue, Queens, from a two-family home to an eight-family home and for conducting work without a permit.

• $10,000 in penalties issued to Aurora Crane LLC for inadequate safety measures at 5100 Kings Plaza, Brooklyn, after a knuckle boom truck tipped over.

• $25,000 in penalties issued to General Contractor Jose Martinez of JM Contractors (NY), Inc. for failure to safeguard a neighboring property affected by construction, which partially collapsed due to inadequate shoring, sheeting and bracing on a construction site at 120-15 84 Avenue, Queens.

• $25,000  in penalties issued to Yoel Gruber of NY Developers for a failure to safeguard the construction site at 150-13 89 Avenue, Queens, after DOB inspectors observed the concrete floors of the structure were in a severe state of disrepair, posing a potential risk to workers on site and the public.

• $12,500 in penalties issued to a member of 540 Jackson Realty Corporation for the continued failure to maintain the building’s elevator at 540 Jackson Avenue, Bronx, which remains on DOB’s Top Elevator Offender list.

• A total of $10,000 in penalties issued to Serlin Building LTD and Out Front Media LLC for displaying an illegal outdoor advertising sign without a permit at 464 Bushwick, Avenue, Brooklyn.

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