ECB Judgment Amnesty Program Begins Sept. 12

On April 21, 2016, Mayor de Blasio signed Local Law 45, which authorized the Department of Finance (DOF) to create a 90-day amnesty program for owners with outstanding ECB judgments. The three-month program allows participants to resolve violations they received from New York City’s Department of Sanitation, Buildings, Transportation, Fire Department, Landmarks, Parks, or other City of New York agencies and which are now in judgment.

The program starts on Sept. 12, 2016, and continues through Dec. 12, 2016. To receive amnesty, you must pay all of your violations that are in judgment on or before Dec. 12, 2016.

The program covers two types of violations: those that require only payment and those that require both payment and corrective action. If a violation requires only a payment, it is considered a “Schedule A” violation. A violation that requires a condition to be corrected is known as a compliance violation and will be listed on “Schedule B.” You must pay at least 25 percent of the amnesty amount due for every Schedule B violation that you owe by the end of the program. You then have six months from your initial payment date to correct the violation and pay the remaining balance. You may also choose to pay the entire resolution amount before the end of the program and still have six months to correct.

Below are some of the most common violations:

•  Illegal Posting of Handbill or Notice
• Snow, Ice or Dirt on Sidewalk
• Improper Storage of Receptacles
• Improper or Misused Recycling Containers
• Improper Disposal of Trash or Recyclables
• Failure to Comply With an Order of the Commissioner
• Failure to Properly place Recyclables for Collection
• Work without a Permit
• Failure to Conduct Required Inspections and Tests
• Failure to submit Affidavits, Design/Installation or Other Documents
• Vending Merchandise or Food in a Restricted Area

You can contact 212-440-5300 or click here for any questions on ECB Amnesty or Amnesty-eligible violations. You can also contact 311 and ask for the NYC Department of Finance Collections Division for questions about the Forgiving Fines program.