State protecting shady real estate brokers

From The Real Deal:

Like many New Yorkers who have had bad experiences with real estate agents, Tanya Mejia took to Yelp in September 2014 to give brokerage Chrome Residential a one-star review. “Not only are these guys unprofessional, but they are crooks,” she wrote. “Do yourself a favor and stay clear of this company.”

To retrieve a $2,000 security deposit from her broker, she then went to Small Claims Court and obtained a judgment against Chrome, which the broker refused to pay unless she removed her Yelp review, according to a New York Department of State investigation. Mejia then filed a consumer complaint with the DOS, and finally, more than two years after the initial incident, an administrative law judge revoked the real estate broker’s license in September 2016.

But as far as the state’s public database of licensing decisions is concerned, this never happened. A search for the agent’s name (“Jacob Benchlouch”) only turns up two duplicate files for an earlier dismissed complaint, omitting any record that he was sanctioned for “engaging in deceptive acts and practices.” (Benchlouch could not be reached for comment and Chrome Residential is no longer in operation.)

To protect the interests of New York’s consumers, the DOS’ Division of Licensing Services regulates a number of professions, including real estate brokers and salespersons, by handing down fines, suspensions and revoking licenses as it deems necessary. But because the agency uses rudimentary public disclosure tools that are difficult to navigate and often incomplete, it is difficult for consumers to identify sanctioned brokers, leaving open the possibility that they will harm another consumer.

Bill aims to stop car dealership sidewalk parking

From CBS 2:

Dealerships have been parking their cars where people walk, specifically in Brooklyn and Queens.

“I’m basically stepping over the bumper of a car to try and get into the street,” Calvin McGoldrick, of Bay Ridge, said.

In Bay Ridge, CBS2 busted a Hyundai dealer on Fourth Avenue. When it saw our cameras, it moved one of its cars that was illegally parked.

CBS2 also spotted four cars on the sidewalk at the Park Slope Auto Center. Even the image Google Maps snapped of it shows two cars illegally parked.

“It’s more than just an inconvenience, though. I think it’s a safety issue,” said Emily Porro, of Park Slope.

That’s why the City Council is pushing for a bill to revoke car dealers’ licenses if they become repeat offenders.

“Anytime when you have cars infringing on public space and pedestrians space, it’s a problem,” City Councilman Justin Brannan, of Brooklyn, said.
City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, of Queens, is sponsoring the bill.

Peralta vs. prostitution

From the Queens Chronicle:

Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights is widely regarded as a hotbed of prostitution and human trafficking. And state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) wants to give law enforcement another tool to crack down on businesses acting as a front for the problem.

The lawmaker has introduced legislation mandating massage parlors to get a license from the New York Department of State that allows them to operate, a practice required for many businesses. According to Peralta, some — but not all, he emphasized — of the parlors are fronts for prostitution. One thing he pointed out about some of the businesses is that people on the street pass out cards for them late at night.

“The legitimate places are open from, like, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,” the senator told the Chronicle. “These folks are open late at night. In particular over the weekend; one o’clock in the morning, they’re still operating.”

Many constituents weary of the massage parlors have complained about them to his office, Peralta added.

His bill would make massage parlors get four-year licenses from the state, which they would have to display, showing customers that they are complying with the regulation. The businesses would also have to get a bond or liability insurance.

Massage parlors operating without the license will not be taken lightly: The punishment could be paying $2,500 and spending six months behind bars.

Contractors pretend to inspect

From the Daily News:

In 2011, 54-year-old Ukrainian laborer Ivan Lendel died and four others were injured when several floors of a 14-unit condo building under construction in Brighton Beach collapsed on them.

The Buildings Department quickly concluded that concrete was poured improperly and the steel structure was unstable. Schneider was hired by the contractor there as a “special inspector” to make sure everything was done safely.

On Friday, the Buildings Department announced it had yanked his license, declaring that he couldn’t demonstrate that he’d performed crucial safety inspections at the site of the fatal collapse and at other jobs citywide.

Schneider, for instance, wasn’t present for the installation and testing of the pile foundation at the site and “never received or reviewed any testing reports for the installation,” the department found.

Schneider also couldn’t document inspections at “numerous sites over the past few years,” officials said.

About those scooter cabs...

From WPIX:

There's a new cab service in the city but it may be illegal.

"Motoconcho" is the city's only known Vespa taxi service.

Customers can order a ride through an app, then a message is sent to a Vespa driver – who arrives within minutes.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission says such vehicles cannot be used as cabs and the company's owner may be violating city rules.

Dustin Rodriguez says the Taxi and Limousine licenses only apply for cars not scooters.

As seen previously.

Contractor license yanked for first time

From the Daily News:

For the first time, the city has revoked the license of a bad-actor construction contractor for racking up a mountain of dangerous code violations, officials announced Wednesday.

MRMD NY Corp. was cited for more code violations than any other contractor in the city, running up $834,000 in fines for repeatedly putting workers and the public in danger at their job sites, officials said.

The company reached an agreement with the city Law Department back in November to clean up its act, but building inspectors kept finding more violations after that.

By last month MRMD had piled up another $600,000 in fines. Last week the city moved to revoke MRMD’s license after finding the company and owner, Michelle San Miguel, in default of the November agreement.

1st contractor ever to get license yanked

From DNA Info:

A contractor whose company was criminally charged in the death of a construction worker in April has had his license yanked after the Department of Buildings found his eight job sites citywide had been deemed “immediately hazardous” 30 times over the past two years.

Kenneth Hart, who runs Harco Construction, is the first person to lose his DOB registration for amassing too many construction violations under a new enforcement effort, which includes hiring additional staff to tackle the issue, DOB officials said.

Hart racked up 30 violations for “immediately hazardous” circumstances at eight different construction sites he oversaw over a period of two years, DOB said. Hart’s company is no longer allowed to operate in the city, officials said.

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS CRACKING DOWN ON LICENSES OF REPEAT OFFENDER CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

First Ever Suspension of Contractor Registration for Multiple Construction Violations

More Discipline Coming for Construction Professionals that Endanger Public

Following his appointment at the Department of Buildings in August of 2014, Commissioner Chandler immediately set out to reform how the agency identifies, coordinates enforcement actions between agencies and disciplines problem construction professionals. Following the creation of a Risk Management Office, the development of a comprehensive construction professional discipline database and the recent release of an Industry Code of Conduct last month, the Department accomplished another priority outlined in its transformative Building One City initiative – the implementation of new proactive regulatory enforcement efforts through the suspension of a contractor’s registration for receiving multiple immediately hazardous violations over a 24 month period. The disciplinary action – part of an overall strategy of imposing greater accountability and integrity within the construction industry – comes following multiple cases in recent months where unscrupulous construction professionals have cut corners during projects to the detriment of workers or public safety.

Following an excavation failure on April 6, 2015 at 19 9th Avenue, the Department of Buildings in coordination with the Department of Investigation began reviewing the violation history of Kenneth Hart of Harco Consultants Corp. The Department conducted an administrative review of the contractor’s work history that resulted in the suspension of Mr. Hart’s General Contractor registrations on July 20, 2015 due to a pattern of risky behavior on his job sites. In addition, all sites using Harco as the contractor were issued stop work orders. The Department of Investigation in coordination with the Manhattan District Attorney launched a criminal investigation which resulted in today’s arrests of those working for Harco, and these individuals will now face charges. The coordination between the three agencies has resulted in administrative disciplinary hearings and criminal indictments that will help to make New York City safer, and the construction industry more accountable for misconduct.

Kenneth Hart was served on July 20, 2015 with a 33 page administrative discipline petition charging that over a 24 month period between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014 he accrued 30 violations deemed immediately hazardous to the public on 9 jobs sites throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The charges range from a failure to put in place proper safeguards to protect the public and workers during ongoing construction to cutting corners on jobsites by not following approved work plans.

“It should be made clear with today’s arrests, as well as the suspension of Mr. Hart’s registrations, this Department will not tolerate conduct by construction professionals that puts workers or the public in danger, and will use every enforcement tool provided in the NYC Construction Codes to discipline bad actors,” said Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler. “Targeting and suspending this contractor’s registration due to an extensive violation history is a significant step forward in meeting the Department’s goal to enhance our regulatory efforts over problem construction professionals. The industry should take notice; an attitude that violations are simply the cost of doing business will no longer be tolerated, the Department will be seeking to suspend or revoke licenses for those that repeatedly refuse to abide by the law.”

Under the NYC Administrative Code the Department is granted a wide array of disciplinary enforcement actions for construction professionals who fail to comply with the NYC Construction Code and the various other laws the agency is tasked with enforcing. In addition to the issuance of violations, the Department can place stop work orders on jobs, assess civil penalties, suspend and revoke licenses and where necessary refer cases for criminal enforcement agencies for prosecution.

Bill threatens to take away business licenses of scofflaws

From the Daily News:

A new City Council bill would yank the licenses of businesses that rack up thousands of dollars in unpaid fines.

The city is owed $1.5 billion in uncollected penalties on building and fire code, sanitation, health and other violations - all judgments handled by the Environmental Control Board.

Under the bill being introduced by Councilman Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan) Wednesday, businesses could lose their licenses or permits if they have $50,000 overdue for two years, or $25,000 overdue for five years. They’d also get hit if they owe $10,000 and fail to make three straight payments on a payment plan.

“There’s $1.5 billion that’s sitting on the table,” Kallos said. “Passing these laws to revoke permits would do a lot to improve quality of life.”

The legislation would mean construction sites that rack up debt for dangerous building code violations would have their permits taken away.

Other targets could be restaurants that don’t pay their health code fines, or businesses that leave sidewalks covered in litter or don’t shovel snow.

Tours celebrate local history

From New York Shitty:

Some might recall that not terribly long ago I was contacted by a very nice fellow named Geoff. He is not only a Greenpoint resident and school teacher (!), but he calls north Brooklyn history his hobby and to this end he has a web site and is publishing a book. Upon his applying for and receiving a tour guide license, Geoff was kind enough to invite me on a tour! I had a wonderful time and learned a lot.

Darn, that's a cute old pink house setback from the street! I hope it doesn't meet the wrecking ball...

Brownstoner Queens mentioned that our esteemed Queens Borough Historian also has a busy summer tour schedule.

Interestingly, he does not appear to hold a Sightseeing Guide license.

Lots of taxis being towed

From the Daily News:

City taxi inspectors seized a record-high 5,776 illegal livery cars last year, more than triple the number confiscated the prior year, authorities said Thursday.

The record could be smashed again this year because inspectors already hauled 849 vehicles off the road in January — up from 276 the prior January.

Nearly all of the busts are gypsy drivers, who poach riders from licensed livery services and yellow cabs.

TLC-authorized livery drivers must take a defensive driving course, get drug tested and clear a criminal background check. The TLC also sets minimum insurance levels for any accidents involving passenger injuries and inspects livery cars for defects.

Gypsy drivers bypass all those requirements.

Inspectors confiscated 1,737 cars in 2011. The increase in 2012 is partly due to the TLC’s hiring of 100 additional inspectors last year.

A new class of recruits hit the streets last month and another group just began training.

City helps legalize illegal contractors

From Crains:

For immigrant contractors working in Flushing, Queens, many of whom speak broken English at best, jobs have most often come from within their own Chinese community: remodeling one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in the neighborhood, improving basements, perhaps adding patios or terraces to stand-alone homes. Many of the Mandarin-speaking craftsmen work without city licenses, risking fines of up to $250,000 if they're caught by city inspectors.

Since last year, the city's grant program has had the effect of helping to rein in the off-the-books workforce and encourage so-called micro-entrepreneurs—who work for themselves or employ up to five people full-time—to play by the rules.

Last year, the Queens Economic Development Corp. won a $100,000 grant from the city's Economic Development Corp. to establish a training program. The result: 130 contractors, many of whom worked illegally in the past, passed the licensing test in Mandarin.

"Some of our contractors have now been successful getting contracts throughout the city now that they have a license and entering the mainstream market," said Franklin Mora, deputy director of the Queens Economic Development Corp.

The grant to the Queens nonprofit that paid for the training program was won in a competition run by the city and funded by Deutsche Bank.

Lifting a load too heavy

From NBC:

A crane collapse in Queens Wednesday is being attributed to error on the part of the crane operator, officials say.

The crane collapsed at a construction site at 46-10 Center Blvd. in Long Island City Wednesday afternoon, behind the famed neon Pepsi-Cola sign, injuring seven people, including three construction workers who had to be extricated.

Buildings Department Commissioner Robert Limandri said it appears the crane operator attempted to lift a load of 23,900 pounds on the crane, more than double the weight capacity for the crane.

Limandri said the operator was unable to see the load being lifted and he was apparently trying to lift the materials outside the approved loading zone.

The operator's license has been suspended, Limandri said. A stop work order for crane operations at the construction site remains in effect while the investigation continues.

Beware of shady contractors

Cheap airline goes belly up

From DNA Info:

Leon Seerran was supposed to be home in Guyana Wednesday. Instead, he was standing on Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill, looking for answers.

Seerran was one of the many stranded customers waiting outside the New York offices of EZJet Air Service, an air charter service that operates between New York and the Caribbean using space on other airlines.

The company canceled all flights to and from Guyana last week, leaving customers stuck.

The sudden blackout came on Nov. 8, the same day the United States Department of Transportation revoked EZJet's ability to transport passengers.

"We notified EZJet last week that it no longer had charter authority from DOT because it did not have a direct air carrier to provide its flights," DOT spokesperson Bill Mosely confirmed to DNAinfo.com New York via email on Tuesday.

EZJet, which could not be reached for comment and whose office on Liberty Avenue and 131st Street appears to have been hastily vacated, posted a letter on its website and an announcement on its Facebook page Nov. 9 blaming its airline partners, the Phoenix-based airline SwiftAir LLC and the Virginia-based Dynamic Airways.

Wow, who would have thought that an airline being run out of a storefront on Liberty Avenue would be so shady?

DCA finds lots of shady contractors

From AM-NY:

In a two-month inspection sweep targeting Queens and Staten Island, the Department of Consumer Affairs found one in five contractors operating without a license, the DCA announced Wednesday.

Seventy-two vehicles were seized by the agency and those caught working illegally face fines between $175,000 and $250,000.

Tagging the bicycles

From the Daily News:

"Messengers and folks who work for restaurants tend to be the worst [traffic law] offenders," said Councilman David Greenfield (D-Brooklyn). "They have a financial incentive to be reckless drivers. ...It's the Wild West of transportation."

Greenfield is introducing legislation today that would force businesses that hire cyclists to apply for license plates for each employee's bike.

The companies would also have to show proof of insurance - to cover injuries to their rider and any pedestrians they may plow over.

Any business that fails to acquire the city-issued tags would face a $1,000 fine - and cops would get the green light to seize the scofflaw bikes.

"License plates are the great equalizer," Greenfield insisted. "If you have a license plate, you're responsible. Everyone knows who you are. They know who's in charge and we can track you down."

License plates, he said, could someday allow cops to bust bad bikers with red light cameras.

Unlicensed contractors busted in sting

From Eyewitness News:

Consumer Affairs nabbed 14 unlicensed contractors in their most recent, multi-borough sting operation.

In one case, a contractor even bolted right after they caught him.

In other instances, the contractors were brazen enough to keep advertising, even after they were in trouble.

They were listed with the same phone number and a different name of the company.

Consumer Affairs is urging homeowners to only hire contractors who are licensed.

The most important reason why is because you'll win out in the end.