curb cut


HI:

I realize this is a contentious issue, but we purchased a 1920′s rowhouse in Bay Ridge that is one in a group of 5 rowhouses. All of the homes were built with, and still retain, curb cuts in front of the homes. Ours, however, does not as the previous owner rented the home out and paved the front yard, which also included a garden to the right of the stoop.

We would like to restore the garden and the curb cut/driveway, but are not sure where to start and whether we’d get permission.

We have been told on more than one occasion, that because the house was originally built with a driveway, that we could just go ahead and restore it. But that doesn’t sound right to me – I don’t want to be fined by the DOB.

What are our chances of getting a permit from the DOB to do this work?

Note: We wouldn’t even be taking away a legal parking space, as when the previous owner paved the front of the house, he simply added additional curb to an already existing space thereby creating an oversized parking space. We would only be taking out that small piece of the curb that was originally the home’s drive.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Categories: Exterior
By pogo | 05/07/2008 10:33 PM | Comment

curb cut


HI:

I realize this is a contentious issue, but we purchased a 1920′s rowhouse in Bay Ridge that is one in a group of 5 rowhouses. All of the homes were built with, and still retain, curb cuts in front of the homes. Ours, however, does not as the previous owner rented the home out and paved the front yard, which also included a garden to the right of the stoop.

We would like to restore the garden and the curb cut/driveway, but are not sure where to start and whether we’d get permission.

We have been told on more than one occasion, that because the house was originally built with a driveway, that we could just go ahead and restore it. But that doesn’t sound right to me – I don’t want to be fined by the DOB.

What are our chances of getting a permit from the DOB to do this work?

Note: We wouldn’t even be taking away a legal parking space, as when the previous owner paved the front of the house, he simply added additional curb to an already existing space thereby creating an oversized parking space. We would only be taking out that small piece of the curb that was originally the home’s drive.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

By pogo | 05/07/2008 10:31 PM | Comment

clearing violations


Not sure if this is the correct Topic category, but: my spouse and I just purchased a home where there were about 4, 15-20 year-old violations; 2 for an extension and 2 for illegal use of a a residential basement as a doctor’s office. The seller, a doctor, hired an architect and had the C/O changed so that the basement is now listed as professional office space. He also conducted work with licensed plumbers and used an architect to legalize the extension. Apparently, the plumbing work in the extension is completed and passed inspection, and since he legally changed the C/O to S-1 mixed use so that he could practice inthe basement, it seems that the violations should be cleared.
At the closing, because they continued to appear, the attorneys agreed and the parties agreed that we would escrow money until the Seller filed Certificates of Correction with the DOB and show that the violations have been removed or, at least, no longer come up as “open”.

Well, the time period for this to take place has elapsed; Seller is not responsive and clearly does not care about getting the money that we have in escrow and is leaving it to us to clear the violations.

I have cleared with my attorney that we can now keep the money we escrowed, but now how do I go about filing certificates of correction on old violations when I don’t have access to (and seller will not provide us with) the plans, permits, photos, names and licenses of those who performed the work, etc.

I’d liek to have those violations cleared, but we also want to move forward and re-do the basement as a normal basement living space for a 1-family home and change the C/o back to 1 family residential.

What should my next step be?

Thanks.

Categories: Expediters
By pogo | 08/15/2007 10:33 PM | Comment