Int. No. 1279-A

By Council Members Rosenthal, Ampry-Samuel, Lancman, Ayala, Kallos, Vallone, Perkins and Rivera

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of buildings and the department of housing preservation and development to audit a certain percentage of certifications of correction

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Title 26 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 25 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 25

AUDITS OF CERTIFICATIONS OF CORRECTION

                     § 26-2501 Definitions. As used in this chapter, the term “certification of correction” means the paper or electronic document filed with the department of buildings or the department of housing preservation and development by a property owner or managing agent to affirm that the violating conditions cited on a notice of violation have been corrected within the required timeframe.

§ 26-2502 Audits of certifications of correction.  a. The department of buildings shall audit no fewer than 15 percent of certifications of correction of immediately hazardous violations filed with such department. Such audit shall include, at minimum, an inspection by such department to ensure that the violating conditions cited in the notice of violation have been corrected.

b. The department of housing preservation and development shall audit no fewer than 15 percent of all certifications of correction of class C violations filed with such department. Such audit shall include, at minimum, an inspection by such department to ensure that the violating conditions cited in the notice of violation have been corrected.

§ 26-2503 Reporting. By March 31, 2020 and no later than March 31 annually thereafter, the department of buildings and the department of housing preservation and development shall each submit to the speaker of the council an electronic report describing the findings of the audits performed by such departments in the previous year pursuant to section 26-2502 of this chapter. Such report shall include, but not be limited to:

1. The total number of audits conducted;

2. The percentage of certifications of correction audited;

3. The percentage of audited certifications of correction found to have been false;

4. For audited certifications of correction found to have been false, the total amount of civil penalties collected and, if applicable, the number of additional sanctions imposed, disaggregated by type; and

5. For buildings where an audited certification of correction is found to have been false in the reporting period, whether a certification of correction filed for such building has been audited by the department of buildings or the department of housing preservation and development in the previous five years, and whether such audit or audits resulted in a finding or findings of false certification.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law, except that the commissioner of buildings and the commissioner of housing preservation and development may promulgate rules as may be necessary for the purpose of implementing and carrying out the provisions of this local law, prior to its effective date.

CCF/APB

LS 2369

4/30/19 6:09 pm