Landmarks surprise visits

I have a client who is considering doing some work to his front porch on a Fort Green landmark block which would need landmark’s approval (it’s the replacement of wood floor of the decking an railings). He is saying that if you do the work on a Saturday and Sunday there is absolutely no chance that Landmarks or the DOB would be able to see it with a drive by because they don’t work on weekends, is this correct?

Guest User | 8 years and 4 months ago

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slopefarm | 8 years and 4 months ago

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Right, and getting the work done before someone sees it doesn’t mean you are safe. This doesn’t seem worth the risk to me. Bigger headache to get a violation after the fact than to file it in the first place.

BobMarvin | 8 years and 4 months ago

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Actually, he’s right when he says that “if you do the work on a Saturday and Sunday there is absolutely no chance that Landmarks or the DOB would be able to see it with a drive by because they don’t work on weekends” although I’d substitute “almost” for “absolutely”. However, the statement, while right, is irrelevant because violations are mostly complaint-driven. It’s the neighbors he’d have to worry about. In many neighborhoods there’s not likely to get a complaint if he’s not doing anything outrageous, but why take a chance?

yudashasom | 8 years and 4 months ago

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Your client doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

AndrewPorter | 8 years and 4 months ago

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“Nosy neighbors”—you mean people who love living in a Landmarked area and who don’t want someone to try to get away with violating the law?

I will often enquire about changes made. If everyone changed a few things without bothering to get permits, where does it end?

figtree | 8 years and 4 months ago

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Landmarks doesn’t have the resources or man power to go out and check all the landmarked neighborhoods. They rely heavily on complaints called in by neighbors. Usually if the owner is doing right by the house and the neighborhood and the work they’re doing is making the house look better, neighbors are happy. If the work is a dramatic change to the look (even if it falls within landmarks rules) you could have some nosy neighbors calling you in.

mozeeatupu | 8 years and 4 months ago

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DOB inspectors make visits on Saturdays and Sundays and complaints can be made 24/7 365

resident2 | 8 years and 4 months ago

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Landmark Violations do not go on your property only if you are caught in the act. They can go on at any time once they have a 311 call from someone or while being in the area and etc. at any time later. I once got a violation for iron gates on a Brownstone that had been there for more than 30 years and prior to the building being land-marked. The Landmarks commission had filed the wrong picture against my address at some point…
They take a picture and check it against the pictures that they have on file from when it became a landmark, check the permits on the property and if there are major changes (or no so major changes) without a permit, a violation is issued. Even if the work would have been approved, you can get a violation for work without a permit.
Repairs, replacements of like kind etc do not need a permit, but if you are making changes to the railings, moldings, windows etc. you need a permit no matter what time of day or day in the week that the work is being done..

daveinbedstuy | 8 years and 4 months ago

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Though that is probably correct, if Landmarks sees that work has been done without approval and it’s egregious enough, they can still cause problems. The decking would probably pass unnoticed. The railings depends.