Chair Sanchez reads CM Salaam's statement on Intro 717 permit sign-off bill
Sanchez reads Salaam's statement explaining that Intro 717 addresses the problem of property owners unaware of open permits, which surfaces years later during sales or refinancing. The bill requires DOB to email owners about permit sign-off requirements. Tagani echoes support and says DOB will follow up with data on open permits.
I'm going to read a quick statement by Councilmember Salam, who is online, but we do not have quorum, so he's not able to read the statement on his bill.
Thank you, Chair Sanchez.
Intro 717 is a simple bill about something that is not simple for the people that it affects.
When a permit is issued, the job is not over, and the work is not over.
It is over when the department signs off.
A lot of owners do not know that.
They hire a contractor, the work gets done, the contractor moves on, and the permit stays open.
Years later, they go to sell or to refinance and find out there's an open or expired permit on the property, that there are reinstatement fees, that future permits at the address are held up, and that work sealed behind a wall may have to be opened back up for an inspection that never happened.
That falls hardest on the smallest property owners, the one-to-four family homeowner.
The family that has held the building in Harlem for two generations and does not have an expediter or retainer.
Large developers have staff who track this.
Our neighbors do not.
This bill asks the department to do one thing.
Tell people, email the owner within seven days of the permit being issued.
Every 90 days after that until sign-off and every two weeks once the permit is near expiration.
Tell them the permit number and the expiration date, what the sign-off requires, and what...
Excuse me, and that the work has to stay accessible for inspection and what happens if they never get it.
There are no new obligations on owners here and no new penalties.
This is a notice.
Notices prevent the fee, the violation, and the stalled closing before they happen.
I want to work with the department on the intervals and how the notice is delivered, and I would ask the department today how many permits are currently open without sign-off and how many of those are on one to four family homes.
Thank you.
So just echo again that we are very interested in working with the council member on this bill.
We're supportive of the intention.
I don't have those particular figures with me today, but I will follow up immediately to provide the council, the chair, and the sponsor those numbers and to continue talking about the bill.
Thank you, Commissioner.