City to start crackdown on illegal home conversions
Council bill creates stiff penalties for crooked landlords
A City Council bill that was nearly three years in the making was approved unanimously this week, a move that should send chills down the spines of unscrupulous landlords, according to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and councilmembers.
On Wednesday, Adams and Councilmembers Vincent Gentile, Jumaane Williams and Barry Grodenchik (D-Queens), were celebrating the passage, by a 49-0 vote, of legislation they introduced to increase the penalties against landlords engaging in a dangerous practice known as aggravated illegal conversions, in which three or more illegal dwelling units are created within one structure.
The legislation creates a fine of $15,000 for each individual unit that is three or more units above the Certificate of Occupancy of a building. The fine constitutes a lien on the property. If the fine is unpaid for one year, the lien can be sold by the city.