Treyger Bill Would Protect Disaster Victims From DOB Penalties
City Councilman Mark Treyger has introduced a bill to block the Department of Buildings from penalizing homeowners and tenants who are trying to recover from natural disasters.
“Nobody should be left worse off by the recovery process than if they never participated in it at all, and the onus should be on the city and contractors to comply with rules and regulations related to Sandy Recovery work, not residents,” Treyger said in a press release. ” It undermines the public’s trust, faith and willingness to participate in recovery programs.”
Treyger cited several examples of Sandy victims being penalized by the DOB while awaiting long-overdue assistance from storm recovery programs. He highlighted the story of a Brooklyn resident received a $500 penalty for failing to repair his Sandy-damaged property. The man testified at a hearing that Build it Back had investigated the damage and he was “was waiting for promised financial relief and advised not to make any repairs until he received it.”
DOB representatives told the Committee on Recovery and Resiliency, chaired by Treyger, the agency already has internal policies to prevent disaster victims from being penalized. However, several legal service providers said they were not aware of such regulation when testifying before the same committee, Treyger said.
“[Why] is the City’s Department of Buildings issuing citations and fines, ordering our clients to immediately repair a roof or stairs on a house that Build it Back will be tearing down? Our clients can’t understand how this can be happening to them,” said Margaret Becker, director of Disaster Recovery for Legal Services NYC.
Treyger’s legislation is intended to provide relief to New Yorkers still struggling to recover from Superstorm Sandy, as well as establish a fair policy in the event of future storms. It would prevent disaster victims from receiving criminal or civil fines or other DOB penalties while city-operated natural disaster are underway at their property. The legislation would also create a reimbursement program for anyone who has already been forced to pay a penalty. Treyger hopes to expand the bill so that it applies to other city agencies, such as the Department of Sanitation.
“This legislation shows that our city truly values its residents and appreciates that recovery from disaster is a complicated process that should not be made more difficult by government regulations written for normal circumstances,” the Brooklyn Long Term Recovery Group wrote in a statement.
Treyger has also signed on as a co-sponsor for a similar bill by City Councilman Alan Maisel, which would prevent owners, lessees, or occupants from being fined or penalized for work performed by the city or third-party contractors.
“It is unconscionable that the City would put violations on a property for work that is being done by the City operated Build It Back program,” Maisel said in a press release.