Working without Permit

A long inquiry about permitting in NYC….
A 3 story house near me in BedStuy was bought buy an LLC. They have done a full gut along with excavating the cellar and building a huge 4 story cinderblock extension 20′ out from the back of the house. They have no permits. BIS shows that there are multiple complaints and a Full Stop Work Order although it is not posted on the building. They continue to work. I am curious if anyone knows how this works? Why does the developer not care? Can you pay someone off in the DOB? Who will buy a house with this history? Why would anyone get permits if you can defy the system with no apparent repercussions?

sticksandstones

in General Discussion 6 years and 8 months ago

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namahs | 6 years and 8 months ago

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It seems this is common. There was someone on my block that did a full gut without a permit and got away with it. I know some of the retired neighbors actually called in but by the time they actually came to check 2-3 months later..they were done. Nothing happen.

Another incident is someone decided to make his own parking in front of his house with concrete sidewalk work and many complaints were sent. The guy was done in 2-3 days and 3 months later.. no DOB showed up yet.

jcarch | 6 years and 8 months ago

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Generally speaking, if you complain to DOB, they send someone out quickly, and take the sort of thing your describing very seriously. Ignoring a stop work order comes with a hefty fine for the contractor. Use 311 online and leave a detailed complaint, including not posting the SWO, and working despite it. Include the fact that they’re excavating under the building.

resident2 | 6 years and 8 months ago

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Once there is a stop work order any workers working there can be arrested.
Many times the workers do not know there is a stop work order, many times the workers are illegals that makes the owners even more disgusting criminals to put their workers in even more dangerous situations.
It used to be that you could go to the local Police Precinct or the Fire House and they would look into it, but if you warn the workers…. the Police or FDNY find no work going on…. NY has a policy of protecting illegals…. Report it to the Building Department again, if still nothing happens report it to The Brooklyn DA’s office Real estate Frauds department, it will take a while for them to do anything because they work on repeat offenders rather than individual cases so the more detective work you can do on the owners the better.
Look into the Department of State records for the LLC.

anotherposter | 6 years and 8 months ago

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Something similar was happening on our block (serious structural work being done with no permits and dangerously according to the architect and contractor working at our place). At least one neighbor filed a DOB complaint for unpermitted work. A retired neighbor was home and on her stoop when they came and said the inspector and the contractor clearly knew each other and the inspector didn’t even go inside. Sure enough, the complaint was cleared and that neighbor called and told them what happened. The next inspection, the next day, resulted in a stop work order that was obeyed. Long story to say, that it might take multiple complaints about unpermitted work.