Sidewalks must be free of holes, improper slopes, and cracks, and it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the sidewalk and repair it when necessary. The city replaces and repairs more than 2 million square feet of sidewalk per year.
If you own a property in NYC, you are responsible for installing, repairing, and maintaining sidewalks next to your property. Somehow, if you fail to maintain the sidewalk repair nyc, the DOT will send you a violation notice of 75 days. It usually encourages property owners to repair the sidewalks before it moves toward defective condition.
Common Sidewalk Defects
Some of the common issues that can lead to violation include:
- Collapsed sidewalk
- Trip hazard
- Improper slop
- Patchwork
- Hardware trip hazard
When Do They Issue a Violation Notice?
NYC DOT evaluates all of the sidewalks of the city to assure complete safety. If inspectors evaluate any defective sidewalk that can be unsafe, they release a notice of sidewalk violation to the owner. It depicts the unsafe and defective sidewalk and encourages the property owners to repair or replace it according to compliance demands. It ultimately increases overall public safety.
If you get an official sidewalk repair notice, you will be provided with 75 days to repair it. If you don’t hire a contractor, the NYC DOT will hire it and created a contract. If you receive multiple notices of sidewalk repairing, and still didn’t repair it, the NYC DOT will send you the newest violation that supersedes all of the prior notices. Any evaluated defects must be corrected within the notified period of 75 days.
You Need to Repair Sidewalks
To fix your sidewalk violation, you need to fix it as soon as possible so you may not face any penalty. For that purpose, you need to follow the following steps:
Hire a Licensed Contractor
Pick a contractor who is licensed for Sidewalk Repair Brooklyn with NYC DOT specifications. You can simply search data of licensed contractors, preferably search by DCA (Department of Consumer Affairs), to find a verified and licensed contractor.
Once you selected the right contractor, you need to find any consumer complaints pending against them. You can contact NYC311 for that purpose.
Sidewalk Construction Permits
Before repairing the sidewalk, you must assure that the contractor has all the legal permits and documents.
Repairs Performed by DOT NYC
If you don’t repair the sidewalk within 75 days of notice, NYC DOT may further repair your sidewalk by hiring a contractor. You will receive a formal notification for that. The contractor will photograph the existing situation to compare it with the repaired one. After marking the sidewalk flags that must be replaced, the necessary repair work will get started. Once all the defects have been repaired, you will receive a bill from DOF (Department of Finance) and NYC DOT, notifying you to remove the violation from records.
Dismissal Evaluation
Once the contractor repaired your sidewalk, you can request for dismissal inspection by contacting NYC311.
You need to have all of the below information ready:
- Permit number
- Property address
- Block and lot number
- Violation number
- Email address and phone number of the property owner
Later, NYC DOT will send an inspector for further verification that the work has been done. Make sure that the overall sidewalk is visible before the inspection. NYC DOT will send an inspector to verify that the work has been satisfactorily completed. Make sure that the entire sidewalk is visible before the inspection.
Challenging A Sidewalk Violation
Request For Re-Inspection
A res-inspection is done by other hired inspectors, who don’t have the previous report. You will be notified at least 4 days before the inspection team comes. If the sidewalk defect on the Notice of Sidewalk Violation does not match the sidewalk condition, a property owner may request a re-inspection within 75 days of receiving the notice.
If the defect mentioned on the notice of sidewalk violation is not exactly according to the existing condition, you can request for re-inspection within 75 days. NYC DOT will review your application and re-inspect the site within 180 days. It will be the final inspection, and the results will be forwarded to you.
