Council Tries to Clamp Down on Self-Certifiers
The City Council gave a unanimous thumbs-up on Thursday to a new bill that would prevent repeat offenders from continuing to abuse the city’s self-certification program. Under the new legislation (which Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign into law), anyone caught twice falsely certifying building plans would lose the right to sign off on projects….
The City Council gave a unanimous thumbs-up on Thursday to a new bill that would prevent repeat offenders from continuing to abuse the city’s self-certification program. Under the new legislation (which Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign into law), anyone caught twice falsely certifying building plans would lose the right to sign off on projects. (Kinda like when Mr. S lost his privileges last summer.) Some council members want to see the self-certification program tossed altogether but that sounds unlikely. “What we don’t want to do is ever put such a level of regulation that we unfairly or unnecessarily slow down the building process in the city of New York,” said council speaker Christine Quinn. “If the reforms we put in place don’t go far enough and we see that, we can always come back to the question.” We don’t think self-certification needs to be eliminated; penalties and enforcement just need to be stepped way up.
Council Moves Against Scofflaw Builders [NY Sun]
Cheating Architects Get Spanked [Curbed]
Photo by Lawrence L.
Too optimistic, 12:44. Everyone who is in the construction business knows that the rools of NY are not easy to follow not because they are strict, but because of their profound lack of transparency and clarity, wich becomes even more complex when it is applied to the real site coditions with millions of factors and restrictions. To resolve any question in Zoning or Building or MDL or House Maintanace Code or some other code is a multi-factor task, therefore you don’t get straight answer to almost any thing. Everything “depends”. This is why much sacred rights of New Yorkers are so vulnerable and poorly defined.
I would tend to doubt that there are more than 2% of all buildings built a “illegal” in some way, shape, or form. Rules are set in place and people interpret them right up to the edge and limit every time. It doesn’t mean the building is illegal. You would do the sme thing.
interesting 12:38 and 3:41 two mentions of how building isn’t 100% clean!! Don’t we know it. You might say it another way…despite laws and regulations it is closer to 100% dirty. Marketability over the rights of New Yorkers everytime.
Anonymous 3:41 – This is unfortunate but the actions of a few impact those who do not exploit this privilege. It happens frequently in life.
Dear Lostinbrooklyn,
You are right, but the situation you are describing would be the ideal situation. Alas, the world in not ideal. Who says that the DOB is NEVER wrong, especially with codes we have in this city, whose complexity is legendary even outside US? Who says that the authorities never use their power for personal vendettas, interpreting the laws in a very tendentious way? Don’t tell it does not happen! I am just trying to show that there is the other side of the medal. The laws in NY are not the easy laws that are easy to follow. It is impossible to design an a-priory 100% “clean” building which is also market profitable – if you want to stay in market. Therefore, words like “We don’t think self-certification needs to be eliminated” – are hypocrisy, nobody wants to take this risk anymore.
Anon 12:38pm
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It’s not the small stuff DOB and the City is worried about. it’s the real offenders who take advantage of the zoning or FAR.
Mr. Murphy’s example of 420 42nd St. in Bklyn is a prime example of an architect that should lose his self-cert license due to HUGE infringements resulting in a potential 12 story building.
Practically, the City did eliminate the Self-Sert. Program, because nobody wants to risk his/her license because of some minor insignificant issue which may arise during the review or construction, but which the authorities can represent as a huge violation and declare on you as “abuser” of the Program . Building is too complicated and the reality is too much complex for any project to bee 100% “clean”.
The construction at 420 42nd Street was STOPPED by DoB for 37 violations. It was self-certified by James Leroy Robinson.
Please keep us informed on what develops on the legislation.