How to Handle a Construction Violation (C)
C is the construction code inside a Department of Buildings violation number. The types page gives that letter one meaning: construction. It does not list subtypes under C. The notice states the condition. Borough construction units inspect new buildings and major alterations for conformity to approved plans. The enforcement side responds to complaints about illegal construction, structural stability, and building use.
Read the notice
Confirm the number uses C as the type code. Work without a permit, a sign, plumbing, and an elevator each have their own codes. An asterisk means the types page marks the item dismissed.
Older papers say ECB. Current Department pages call that hearing path an OATH summons. OATH holds the hearing. OATH is not part of the Department of Buildings and does not issue the summons. A DOB violation is a different paper: a notice that the property is out of compliance, plus an order to correct. There is no court appearance.
If a class is printed, Class 1 is immediately hazardous, Class 2 is major, and Class 3 is lesser. The class is severity. It is not an extra construction type. It comes from the paper or the penalty schedule. The letter C does not set it.
On a summons, read the hearing date and any cure date. If the schedule marks a cure, correct every condition and submit an acceptable certificate of correction on or before that date. A cure is an admission. Unless OATH dismisses the summons, the condition still has to be corrected and accepted. Paying the penalty does not close the Department record.
What the city is requiring
Follow the condition written on the notice, not the letter alone. A stop-work order is a separate order. Inspectors issue it when they find unsafe work or conditions. It is not one of the three classes, and it is not the letter C. A full stop-work order prohibits all work except remedial work to make the site safe. A partial order prohibits only the work or the area it names.
For the third quarter of 2026, the Department’s stop-work list names conditions that resulted in those orders, including work without a permit, work that does not conform to approved documents, missing Building Code Chapter 33 postings, failure to safeguard people and property, and failure to protect adjacent property. Those are examples from that list, not a catalog of every C violation. Use one only when your paper names it.
The classification table also names charges such as missing approved documents at the job site, demolition without a demolition permit, after-hours work without a variance, and failure to file a final inspection of permitted work. The charge that matters is the one printed on your notice. Working against a stop-work order is separate. The stop-work page states additional civil penalties of $6,000 for a first offense and $12,000 for a later offense. Continuing work under a stop-work order, or tampering with the posted order, is Class 1 in that table.
What S & M Expediting handles
S & M Expediting researches the violation, including whether the paper is a DOB violation or an OATH summons. They prepare and file the certificate of correction and the related Department filings, and they follow those filings. When the paper is a summons, they can appear at the OATH hearing.
They are Class 2 filing representatives, never Class 1. We will work with the contractor you have, or if not, we will recommend one from our network. violation removal is the research and the filings.
Who does the corrective work
Hire the licensed professional the notice names. A construction code is not tied to one trade. The permit holder, a licensed contractor, or a design professional may be the person who has to correct the condition or sign the proof. We will work with the contractor you have, or if not, we will recommend one from our network.
Call us at 718-833-2333 or email info@sandmexpediting.com. Bring the notice, and any stop-work order or permit papers that came with it. S & M Expediting is a New York City certified minority- and women-owned business.
