Details Meeting Name: Committee on Housing and Buildings Agenda status: Final Meeting date/time: 4/19/2017 10:00 AM Minutes status: Final   Meeting location: Council Chambers - City Hall Published agenda: Agenda Published minutes: Minutes   Meeting video: Video   Attachments: Attachments - Int. No. 926, Attachments - Int. No. 931-A, Attachments - Int. No. 936, Attachments - Int. No. 938, Attachments - Int. No. 960, Attachments - Int. No. 3, Attachments - Int. No. 1523, Attachments - Int. No. 347-A, Attachments - Int. No. 1530, Attachments - Int. No. 1548, Attachments - Int. No. 1549, Attachments - Int. No. 1550, Attachments - Int. No. 1551, Attachments - Int. No. 1556 Meeting Items (31) 31 records Group Clear sorting Clear grouping Group by Type Group by Result Export Export to Excel Export to PDF Export to Word Show: All agenda items Legislation only All agenda items File # Ver. Prime Sponsor Agenda # Agenda Note Name Type Summary Action Result Action Details Multimedia                     Roll call Not available Int 0003-2014 * Margaret S. Chin     Recovery of relocation expenses incurred by the department of housing preservation and development pursuant to a vacate order. Introduction This bill would require an owner to deposit money in an escrow account, with the department as escrowee, equal to 10% of the rent roll for five years preceding the vacate order for the recovery of relocation expenses incurred. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0003-2014 * Margaret S. Chin     Recovery of relocation expenses incurred by the department of housing preservation and development pursuant to a vacate order. Introduction This bill would require an owner to deposit money in an escrow account, with the department as escrowee, equal to 10% of the rent roll for five years preceding the vacate order for the recovery of relocation expenses incurred. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0347-2014 * Helen K. Rosenthal   Proposed Int. No. 347-A Remedies for the breach of the duty of an owner to refrain from harassment of tenants. Introduction This bill would allow tenants who prevail in harassment cases to collect compensatory damages (or $1,000) from the offending landlord, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs. This bill also allows a court to issue punitive damages for such violations. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0347-2014 * Helen K. Rosenthal     Remedies for the breach of the duty of an owner to refrain from harassment of tenants. Introduction This bill would allow tenants who prevail in harassment cases to collect compensatory damages (or $1,000) from the offending landlord, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs. This bill also allows a court to issue punitive damages for such violations. Amendment Proposed by Comm   Action details Not available Int 0347-2014 * Helen K. Rosenthal     Remedies for the breach of the duty of an owner to refrain from harassment of tenants. Introduction This bill would allow tenants who prevail in harassment cases to collect compensatory damages (or $1,000) from the offending landlord, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs. This bill also allows a court to issue punitive damages for such violations. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0926-2015 * Daniel R. Garodnick     Creating a task force on construction work in occupied multiple dwellings. Introduction This bill would create a task force consisting of members appointed by the New York City Department of Buildings, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Environmental Protection, the City Council, and the Mayor. Among its primary functions, the task force would evaluate the current practices of the individual agencies represented in the task force with regards to construction and renovation by landlords in occupied residential buildings, publish a report of its findings, and provide recommendations to improve inter-agency coordination and sharing of information. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0926-2015 * Daniel R. Garodnick     Creating a task force on construction work in occupied multiple dwellings. Introduction This bill would create a task force consisting of members appointed by the New York City Department of Buildings, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Environmental Protection, the City Council, and the Mayor. Among its primary functions, the task force would evaluate the current practices of the individual agencies represented in the task force with regards to construction and renovation by landlords in occupied residential buildings, publish a report of its findings, and provide recommendations to improve inter-agency coordination and sharing of information. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0931-2015 * Ben Kallos   Proposed Int. No. 931-A Building violations adjudicated before the office of administrative trials and hearings. Introduction This bill would allow the city to impose tax liens on buildings which contain 20 or more dwelling units where the total value of all such judgments against the building is $60,000 or more, or a building which contains between 6 and 19 dwelling units, where the value of the judgments is $30,000 or more. The bill contains exceptions for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s preservation projects. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0931-2015 * Ben Kallos     Building violations adjudicated before the office of administrative trials and hearings. Introduction This bill would allow the city to impose tax liens on buildings which contain 20 or more dwelling units where the total value of all such judgments against the building is $60,000 or more, or a building which contains between 6 and 19 dwelling units, where the value of the judgments is $30,000 or more. The bill contains exceptions for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s preservation projects. Amendment Proposed by Comm   Action details Not available Int 0931-2015 * Ben Kallos     Building violations adjudicated before the office of administrative trials and hearings. Introduction This bill would allow the city to impose tax liens on buildings which contain 20 or more dwelling units where the total value of all such judgments against the building is $60,000 or more, or a building which contains between 6 and 19 dwelling units, where the value of the judgments is $30,000 or more. The bill contains exceptions for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s preservation projects. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0936-2015 * Mark Levine     Tenant protection plans. Introduction This bill amends the information that must be included in tenant protection plans, which are required when construction work will take place in an occupied residential building, and prescribes measures that the Department of Buildings (DOB) and owners must take in order to ensure compliance with the tenant protection plan. The bill would also require that DOB perform inspections to ensure that sites are complying with their applicable tenant protection plans. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0936-2015 * Mark Levine     Tenant protection plans. Introduction This bill amends the information that must be included in tenant protection plans, which are required when construction work will take place in an occupied residential building, and prescribes measures that the Department of Buildings (DOB) and owners must take in order to ensure compliance with the tenant protection plan. The bill would also require that DOB perform inspections to ensure that sites are complying with their applicable tenant protection plans. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0938-2015 * Antonio Reynoso     Requiring increased oversight of construction contractors who have engaged in work without a required permit. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Buildings (DOB) to compile and maintain a watch list of contractors who have been found to have performed work without a required permit in the preceding two years. The bill would also require DOB to engage in increased oversight of any worksite where a contractor included on the watch list performs work. The bill also would provide a timeline under which a contractor could be removed from the watch list. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0938-2015 * Antonio Reynoso     Requiring increased oversight of construction contractors who have engaged in work without a required permit. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Buildings (DOB) to compile and maintain a watch list of contractors who have been found to have performed work without a required permit in the preceding two years. The bill would also require DOB to engage in increased oversight of any worksite where a contractor included on the watch list performs work. The bill also would provide a timeline under which a contractor could be removed from the watch list. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0960-2015 * Rosie Mendez     Creating a Safe Construction Bill of Rights. Introduction This bill would require that a “Safe Construction Bill of Rights” be posted for occupants of a dwelling when the owner seeks to conduct any construction work that requires a permit from the Department of Buildings. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0960-2015 * Rosie Mendez     Creating a Safe Construction Bill of Rights. Introduction This bill would require that a “Safe Construction Bill of Rights” be posted for occupants of a dwelling when the owner seeks to conduct any construction work that requires a permit from the Department of Buildings. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1523-2017 * Helen K. Rosenthal     Creation of an office of the tenant advocate within the dept of buildings. Introduction This bill would establish an Office of the Tenant Advocate within the Department of Buildings, whose duties would include but not be limited to: monitoring tenant protection plans to ensure compliance with the administrative code; establishing a system to receive comments, questions and complaints with respect to tenant protection plans; establishing a system to communicate with tenants who are affected by work in occupied multiple dwellings; monitoring sites where a tenant protection plan is required to ensure compliance with such plan; and publishing quarterly reports related to the responsibilities of the office. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1523-2017 * Helen K. Rosenthal     Creation of an office of the tenant advocate within the dept of buildings. Introduction This bill would establish an Office of the Tenant Advocate within the Department of Buildings, whose duties would include but not be limited to: monitoring tenant protection plans to ensure compliance with the administrative code; establishing a system to receive comments, questions and complaints with respect to tenant protection plans; establishing a system to communicate with tenants who are affected by work in occupied multiple dwellings; monitoring sites where a tenant protection plan is required to ensure compliance with such plan; and publishing quarterly reports related to the responsibilities of the office. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1530-2017 * Melissa Mark-Viverito     Creating a rebuttable presumption regarding harassment. Introduction Under current harassment law a tenant has to show that an owner committed a harassing act or omission which caused or was intended to cause such tenant to vacate the dwelling. This bill creates a rebuttable presumption that where an owner commits one of a list of harassing acts or omissions, such act or omission constitutes harassment. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1530-2017 * Melissa Mark-Viverito     Creating a rebuttable presumption regarding harassment. Introduction Under current harassment law a tenant has to show that an owner committed a harassing act or omission which caused or was intended to cause such tenant to vacate the dwelling. This bill creates a rebuttable presumption that where an owner commits one of a list of harassing acts or omissions, such act or omission constitutes harassment. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1548-2017 * Mark Levine     Amending the definition of harassment to include repeatedly contacting or visiting a tenant under certain circumstances. Introduction This bill would expand the definition of tenant harassment to include situations where an owner repeatedly contacts or visits the tenant at unusual hours or in a manner reasonably expected to harass the tenant, unless the tenant has given consent in writing to be contacted at such hours or in such manner. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1548-2017 * Mark Levine     Amending the definition of harassment to include repeatedly contacting or visiting a tenant under certain circumstances. Introduction This bill would expand the definition of tenant harassment to include situations where an owner repeatedly contacts or visits the tenant at unusual hours or in a manner reasonably expected to harass the tenant, unless the tenant has given consent in writing to be contacted at such hours or in such manner. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1549-2017 * Carlos Menchaca     Repeated acts of harassment. Introduction This bill would allow tenants to pursue harassment actions if the owner of their building engages in repeated interruptions of essential services throughout the building or commences frivolous court proceedings throughout the building (including the tenants who bring the action). Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1549-2017 * Carlos Menchaca     Repeated acts of harassment. Introduction This bill would allow tenants to pursue harassment actions if the owner of their building engages in repeated interruptions of essential services throughout the building or commences frivolous court proceedings throughout the building (including the tenants who bring the action). Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1550-2017 * Helen K. Rosenthal     Harassment in private dwellings. Introduction This bill makes tenant harassment laws applicable to private dwellings. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1550-2017 * Helen K. Rosenthal     Harassment in private dwellings. Introduction This bill makes tenant harassment laws applicable to private dwellings. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1551-2017 * Ritchie J. Torres     Unauthorized non-rent fees on rent bills. Introduction Harassment is currently defined as performing one of a list of acts or omissions which causes or is intended to cause a tenant to leave their home. This bill would amend the harassment law to create a rebuttable presumption that including non-rent fees on a rent bill is intended to cause or did cause a tenant to leave their home. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1551-2017 * Ritchie J. Torres     Unauthorized non-rent fees on rent bills. Introduction Harassment is currently defined as performing one of a list of acts or omissions which causes or is intended to cause a tenant to leave their home. This bill would amend the harassment law to create a rebuttable presumption that including non-rent fees on a rent bill is intended to cause or did cause a tenant to leave their home. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1556-2017 * Jumaane D. Williams     Penalties for tenant harassment. Introduction This bill would increase the civil penalties for violations of the administrative code for tenant harassment. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1556-2017 * Jumaane D. Williams     Penalties for tenant harassment. Introduction This bill would increase the civil penalties for violations of the administrative code for tenant harassment. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available