The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) ramped up enforcement actions in Brooklyn during October, issuing almost $1 million in penalties and three stop-work orders related to construction violations at sites across the borough.
The DOB released its enforcement bulletin for October on Dec. 9, highlighting significant actions taken across the city to “deter bad actors and maintain safety standards,” with Brooklyn accounting for a significant portion of these enforcements.
Across New York City, the department issued 49 violations resulting in $1,487,500 in penalties for illegal building alterations, eight violations totaling $125,000 for failure to safeguard construction sites, and ten violations amounting to $46,437 for illegal transient use.
In Brooklyn, the US Bank National Association was issued $546,250 in penalties for violations at 212 Lefferts Place, Bed-Stuy. Inspectors said they found illegal alterations converting a two-family dwelling into seven furnished rooms for transient use, with no class J fire alarm system or adequate safety exits.
Clean Knapp faced $373,750 in penalties for violations at 15 Aberdeen Street in Bushwick, where a two-family dwelling was illegally converted into a seven-family residence. Violations included inadequate egress, lack of automatic sprinklers, and no class J fire alarm system, as well as work without a permit and occupancy contrary to DOB records.
In Park Slope, Leeding Builders Group LLC was fined $25,000 after a crane operator’s mishandling of materials at 653 Union St. caused debris to hit a vehicle. Additional penalties included $12,000 for 2750 Homecrest Ave. LLC for noncompliance with a Partial Vacate Order at the Sheepshead Bay site and $11,250 for Sam Yin at 1634 66th St. for carrying out unsafe demolition work without a permit and creating pedestrian hazards in Bensonhurst.
Other notable actions include $10,000 penalties each for AZ Restoration CO NY Inc. at 119 Ryerson St. in Clinton Hill for a collapsed chimney, AB plus R Construction Inc. at 87 Carlton Ave. in Fort Greene for an unsecured demolition site, and HP Building Management Inc. at 212 Montrose Ave. in Williamsburg for failing to designate a Construction Superintendent for a conversion of a family home.
The DOB also filed petitions to padlock properties in East New York at 731 Drew St. and 1554 Dumont Ave. after illegal contractor yard use and dead storage of motor vehicles were observed.
Following violations of a stipulation agreement, a judge ordered the closure of properties at 354, 370, 372, 376, and 388 Ruby St. in East New York. According to the DOB, padlocking will follow if noncompliance persists.
Meanwhile, the owners of 8109 Third Ave. signed an agreement to cease the illegal use of their Bay Ridge property for vehicle storage.
The DOB’s enforcement actions in Brooklyn in October were marginally higher than those in September, when the city agency issued $110,000 in penalties.
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