Posted by courtwatcher on May 04, 2001 at 23:14:02:
In Reply to: electrical permit/ fuel oil spill posted by Lilly on May 04, 2001 at 20:32:16:
A Permit for Electrical Work is an absolute requirement (per NYC Code). And it says right on the Permit that it must be posted at the worksite.
To check if an Electrical Permit has been issued for your property, call the NYC Bureau of Electrical Control (BEC):
(212) 669-8353
My experience has been that if you complain about your LL and ask that your name not be used, then BEC will keep your name confidential.
Supply BEC with the address of your building, they can check the computer records and see the status of your building. If no Permits have been isssued and work is proceeding, then BEC usually (might) send out an inspector to your building.
This could get the Permit process on track. It could get the work stopped. Hard to say. It will not make your LL happy (hence the need for BEC to keep things confidential).
Of course, if you are a rent regulated / stabilized tenant you have better protections against incorrect LL behavior than if you rent an unregulated apartment.
Remember -- the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Also -- know that if your LL wants to circumvent laws / regulations then there is not a heck of a lot you can do to change the LL's nature.
But you can start to create a procedural record / paper trail that could come in handy if things go bad.
Check out the NYC Dept. of Buildings website for other info:
http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dob/home.html
Also: I have found that FDNY doesn't look favorably upon improper electrical work and has been known to issue violations to LL -- as bad wiring overloaded fuses are often causes of fires / injury / death. So drop by or call your local Fire Station and state your concern.
LL must respond to violations issued by BEC / FDNY / DOB. But, due to overloaded bureaucracy, the people who oversee the hearings will often depend upon the LL's "good word" (rather than real proof) that the violation has been corrected (and, despite efforts to clean up DOB, it seems it isn't that difficult for LL to get some licensed electrician to - falsely - sign off and certify that vios have been cured).
On the positive side: Inpsectors do seem to be on the up and up more than they were in the past.
Good luck.
: I know a little bit about LT and rent regulations, but don't know anything about the following:
: Privately owned rental bldg here in Manhattan-a mix of regulated and unregulated apts. LL posted notice this evening (5/4) that they are working on the electric in basement and redoing the risers in the building starting Monday (5/7), work will be done between 9am-4pm, will take 3 weeks, the power will be off intermittently during that time (Huh?). I don't see a permit. We also have had and currently have a fuel oil spill all over the side of the bldg, on the sidewalk and the well below sidewalk-not cleaned up. Not just a little oil, pools of oil.
: I don't see a permit for the electrical work-is one required?
: Who do I call first?
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