What is an ECB violation, and how do I check my New York City property?

An ECB violation is a city summons about a condition on a property. Owners usually find it taped to the door, in a sale file, or still sitting on the building record years later. This page explains what it is and how to look yours up. S & M Expediting prepares the filings and follows them with the city. We do not do the repair work.

S & M Expediting is a New York City certified minority- and women-owned business.

What is an ECB violation?

ECB was the Environmental Control Board, the city tribunal that heard these cases. Those hearings are now at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, which people call OATH. The Department of Buildings still writes the summons when a property or a job does not meet the construction codes. On the paper and on the city website, the same item is often called an OATH summons.

Is an ECB violation the same as an OATH summons?

For a Buildings Department case, yes. Older records still say ECB. Newer papers say OATH. If you are searching your address, search both words.

How do I check whether my property has one?

Use the city’s OATH Summons Finder. You can search by the address, the name on the summons, or the summons number. The finder shows a copy of the summons and the hearing date. Start at the OATH site: https://www.nyc.gov/site/oath/index.page

The Buildings Department also explains the summons here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/property-or-business-owner/what-is-an-oath-summons.page

What are the three classes?

The Buildings Department sorts these summonses into three classes. Class 1 is immediately hazardous and has to be corrected right away. Class 2 is a major violation that does not require immediate correction. Class 3 is a lesser violation. The class is printed on your summons. It changes both the deadline and the penalty.

I am buying a property and the listing shows an old ECB violation. Does that matter?

It can. Owners and buyers often find that someone paid a fine, or thinks the wall or the plumbing was fixed, and the violation is still open on the city record. Before you close, look up the summons and see whether the city accepted a certificate of correction. An open item can follow the property.

What should I do the day I find a summons?

Read the hearing date and do not set the paper aside. Missing that date is one of the most common problems people ask about. Call us and we will look at the summons with you.

Call 718-833-2333 or email info@sandmexpediting.com. Ask for help with an ECB or OATH summons on your property.

If you already have the summons and need the next step, see how to resolve an ECB violation.

A Fire Department summons is handled the same way, on our NYC Fire Department Violation Filings page.