I · Due diligence
Violation Research
Open violations can hold up a closing or a new permit. We research a property's full DOB and ECB record so you know what you are buying or building on.
When you need it
Before you buy, sell, lease or start design on a property. Open DOB violations and unpaid ECB penalties stay on the property's record when it changes hands, and they can hold up financing, a sale or a future permit. Knowing what is on the record first lets you price it, negotiate it or clear it.
For a quick self-serve check, the free property report shows how many violations, complaints and permits are open at an NYC address. When the answer matters, we research the full record: DOB and ECB/OATH violations and judgments, permit and complaint history, and any outstanding penalties and liens.
What we do
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Confirm the question
We confirm the property and what you need to know: a purchase, a sale or work you plan to start.
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Research the record
We pull the DOB and ECB/OATH violations and judgments, the permit and complaint history, and any outstanding penalties and liens.
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Report in plain English
You get a written summary of the open items, the penalties and what each one means for your plans. Where something needs clearing, we set out how.
Questions
What is an ECB violation?
It is a summons that a city agency such as DOB issues for a violation of the law. It carries a penalty and is decided at a hearing at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). DOB records and title searches still call these ECB violations, after the Environmental Control Board that used to hear them.
What is the difference between a DOB violation and an ECB violation?
A DOB violation is a notice on the property's record that a condition does not comply. It stays open until the condition is corrected and DOB accepts the proof, and some come with a DOB civil penalty. An ECB violation is an OATH summons with a hearing and a fine. One inspection can produce both, and clearing one does not clear the other.
What are OATH ECB violations?
The same thing under its current name. The OATH Hearings Division hears the summonses DOB issues, so you will see ECB, OATH and DOB-ECB used for the same ticket in New York City records.
How do I check the status of an OATH summons?
Search OATH's Summons Finder by summons number, name or address to see the hearing details, the decision and any amount owed. On the property's DOB record, a summons stays open until it is dismissed at a hearing or DOB accepts a certificate of correction, even after the penalty is paid.
How do I check a DOB complaint?
Complaints to DOB are made through 311 and listed on the property's record in DOB's Buildings Information System (BIS), which you can search by address. The free property report on this site shows how many DOB complaints are on record for an address and how many are open, next to its violation and permit counts.
Can you help clear what you find?
Yes. Clearing open violations and summonses is our Violation Removal service, and it starts from the record we have already pulled.
Tell us about your project.
Send the address and what you plan to do. We tell you which permits and filings the work needs and what we would prepare. The review is free.