What would the city do here?

There was a Brownstoner house-of-the-day that is a legal 2 family but is currently “configured as four units.” (http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/blog/2014/02/house-of-the-day-698-st-marks-avenue). What would the Department of Buildings do here if they inspected the property? Would they simply fine the building and make the owner rip out the two kitchens and only rent two apartments or would this trigger a much more complicated problem? The building does not have a certificate of occupancy. Assuming the owner would not try to convert it to a legal 4-family, would this type of violation require the owner to get a new C of O as a 2, which would require new plans and bringing the entire building up to code?

nintzk86

in Brownstoner Renovation 12 years ago

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resident2 | 12 years ago

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The property is currently vacant. It is a legal two family and should not be rented as a four family; that is called over using and if a tenant gets hurt (A fire for example) it becomes a criminal offence, no insurance company will pay out on it. Even if no one gets hurt, but the tenants find out that it is not a legal 4 family, they do not need to pay rent and the landlord cannot legally evict them without legalizing the property, which is impossible while it is occupied. ( A catch 22) And as for buying a legal two with the intention of converting it to a four in this case will actually de-value it, will cost a fortune in time and money and when two – 3 years after the new C of O is issued your new tax assessment comes in you will wonder what you did all that for just to pay the City the equivalent of one apartments whole years rent!

dazednconfused2 | 12 years ago

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ECB violation for work without a permit (converting to 4 units). DOB violation for use contrary to C of O (yes, possible even though no C of O). Owners pay fines. Work needs to be performed to correct situation. Correction is either undoing the work and restoring it to 2-family, or legalizing work to make it a legal 4\. Either way, work needs to be filed with DOB, and certificates of correction filed with DOB. If violations are not cured, fines can increase over time.

daveinbedstuy | 12 years ago

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OK. thx

ditmarsman | 12 years ago

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There are i-cards for this property that show there are only 2 residential apts here, so that is what the DOB will use. So this is legally a 2 family

daveinbedstuy | 12 years ago

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I could be mistaken but DOB works off of C of O and, in this case, likely do nothing.

mozeeatupu | 12 years ago

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I’m not sure about the DOB but the tenants wouldn’t have to pay rent.