Author: mercedes

As you may recall back in April, Mayor Bloomberg announced a new rule requiring the phase out of Number 6 and Number 4 oil, the city’s two most-polluting grades of heating oil with Number 6 being the dirtiest.

About 10,000 buildings in New York City are burning the toxic oils with 60 percent of these buildings being located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The sooty pollution caused by Number 6 and Number 4 oil irritate lungs, aggravate asthma, and increase the rates of heart attacks and premature death.

What this means to you as a building owner, Co-op board member, or property manager is by 2015 you’ll need to convert your building’s boiler to burn at least Number 4 oil if not the most environmentally friendly option Number 2. Then by 2030, all boilers in NYC need to run only on Number 2 oil. This could mean a brand new boiler for many buildings.

Changing the type of oil that your boiler runs on is not as easy as it seems and requires a permit from NYC’s Department of Buildings (DOB).

S&M Expediting can file these boiler conversion permits for you. You can convert your boiler to gas as well through ConEdison. Converting to gas also requires a permit as does completely replacing your boiler. We can expedite all of these permits for you and get you burning cleaner fuel this year.

S&M supports all of New York’s green programs and hope you take your own initiative to make your building healthier today.

The most common DOB violations in NYC are expensive and complicated to deal with on your own, especially if you’ve inherited violations with a newly acquired property. Your first fine will likely be in the hundreds, but if you let those violations go, or if you bought a property that has a long-ignored violation—you could be stuck with a $10,000 fine!

How to Remove Building Violations and Reduce Fines

Once you call our expediting company we look over your violation details to determine the best course of action based on feasibility of legalization, time factor, and cost. When it’s determined whether your violation can be removed completely or your fines negotiated down to the minimum we carefully explain your options to you.

Then, depending on the type of violation, we may need to represent you in ECB court. Many violations do not require appearance at ECB court.  If you have non-hazardous violations which can be cured on or prior to the “cure by” date, we can obtain a Certificate of Correction Approval letter for you.

Hazardous violations are mandated to have have a hearing. DOB violations, or those not requiring a hearing, are resolved either at the borough office or at the centralized unit office.  S & M Expediting has long-standing relationships with these city agencies as well as the ECB court.

If your violation requires an appearance at ECB court, one of our permit expeditors will sit with the administrative judge for you and either plead guilty and obtain a minimum fine or present evidence to have the violation completely dismissed.

Once we receive the ECB court’s decision by mail, we submit a Certificate of Correction to have your violation completely removed from the system. All you have to do is make one phone call. It’s that easy!

For many property owners and prospective buyers in New York, converting a basement into a rental unit means extra income and increased property values. But, how do you know if you can convert your basement?

Make Sure Your Existing or Prospective Property Has a Basement, NOT a Cellar

The first and easiest step you need to take towards owning a property with basement rental-unit potential is to make sure your property actually has a basement.

In New York, if the space beneath your property falls below curb level by more than 50 percent and has windows that cannot be crawled out of, you have a cellar – not a basement. Cellars, by zoning law, cannot be converted into rentable space.

How Can I Tell if My Current Basement Can be Converted?

Already own a property with a basement but have no idea if it’s convertible? A permit expeditor can help. Expediters can conduct a zoning analysis first to see if local laws and codes allow for rental units.

Once it’s determined if you’re zoned for a rental unit, expeditors also advise if code calls for new sprinkler systems and draft architectural plans for the entire conversion. And when it comes time for construction, they are also your one-stop source for hiring quality, licensed contractors and plumbers.

How to Legalize an Existing Basement Rental Unit

All to often, buyers are dazzled by a brand new basement conversion and purchase properties with rental units that are not up to code.

Beware especially of older homes with new basement renovations.

Many times contractors move support columns, water heaters, and boiler systems without filing for permits or while ignoring building code completely.

How to avoid this? Hire a permit expediter BEFORE you buy to research any property you are interested in. But, if you’ve already purchased a property with an illegal basement an expediting service can help you legalize it by quickly closing out old open job orders and removing violations with the New York City Department of Buildings.

Even with space at a premium in New York City, it is possible to add a second or third bathroom to your Co-Op, condo or house with the help of a permit expediter.

Step #1: Hire a Permit Expediter

Before you develop a concept for your bathroom addition, it’s a good idea to hire a permit expediter because expeditors do much more than filling out permit application paperwork.

Permit expediting services also include violation and property research and planning services. This means an expeditor can resolve existing code violations before they hold up your project and draw up plans that follow the latest updates in building code and zoning laws.

Step #2: Get Co-op or Condo Board Approval

Many co-op and condo bathroom additions can alter a building’s water pressure and existing electrical systems, or may require an expensive ventilation system. Depending on the age and design of your building, some boards may be hesitant to approve a new bathroom.

As mentioned before, permit expeditors offer drafting services and planning research via their networks of licensed architects and plumbers.

Your board may want to refer you to an engineer, but since boards are notoriously resistant to change in NYC, it’s in your interest to hire an unbiased third-party vendor. A well-researched blueprint that covers all the legal bases can give you a leg-up on persuading co-op or condo board members to approve your bathroom addition.

 

Step #3: Use a Permit Expediter to Find Registered Contractors and Licensed Plumbers

Permit expeditors are one the best resources for finding reputable contractors in New York City.

Whether you live in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, or Staten Island a permit expeditor will know licensed contractors and plumbers in your neighborhood with the required liability and workers compensation insurance.

Expediters also follow-up with the Department of Buildings once your project is complete to insure the plumber completes all job orders appropriately. This is important because when you sell your property, you’ll experience a smoother sale if there are no costly open applications to deal with at your closing.

Step #4: Permits and Construction

Now that your bathroom-addition plans are free and clear of violations and drafted up to code by licensed professionals you’re ready to file for permits and start construction.

This is what expeditors do best of course. They step in to register your job with the New York City Department of Buildings and expedite the issuance of your construction and plumbing permits so you can spend your time doing something way more fun – like picking out a shower curtain.

 

Try using a permit expeditor like S & M Expediting as a one-stop point of contact for your entire bathroom addition project – from start to finish!

oday marks the launch of New York City’s new Get It Done. Together. program. The pilot program brings the Department of Buildings’ five Borough Commissioners and senior representatives from six City agencies together to form a working group that will meet with private industry members and property owners after normal business hours during the month of May.

The program was developed to further streamline permitting requirements, resolve regulatory conflicts and cut through red tape on ALL of the city’s proposed construction projects—big and small.

The city hopes to spur economic activity around the construction industry to create new jobs and to alleviate a backlog of permit approval requests currently holding up thousands of construction jobs across the city.

During the month of May, the working group will host nightly sessions to meet with property owners, licensed architects and/or engineers, and filing representatives from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The program is focusing on current construction projects that have been disapproved multiple times due to various objections by plan examiners with a mission to get the projects approved. But all construction projects regardless of permit status are welcome to make use of the DOB’s Get It Done. Together. nighttime approval program.

If your construction project is awaiting approval or you’re just getting started, S & M Expediting can help you take advantage of this program. Contact us here for more information.

To learn more, read the DOB Nighttime Approvals Press Release.