The number of vacate orders issued to homes with often-dangerous illegal conversions has dropped by more than half in the past three years, according to the Department of Buildings.
In 2012, inspectors from the DOB's Quality of Life Unit, who investigate illegal conversions, issued 1,032 vacate orders to owners of units that had been illegally subdivided into a warren of smaller apartments, according to the department — shutting down life-threatening partitions like the one that led to the deaths of two firefighters during the "Black Friday" blaze of 2005.
The number of vacate orders dropped to 1,012 the following year. By 2014, that number dipped to 911. And in 2015, inspectors sent out only 630 vacate orders, although DOB officials said the number could change as more complaints are processed.
A DOB spokesman blamed the drop in orders to vacate — which were accompanied by a drop in the overall number of inspections — on a number of veteran inspectors retiring, as well as a change in approach.
“The Quality of Life Unit, which is primarily responsible for investigating illegal conversions, went through a staff shift last year resulting in a number of long-time inspectors moving into different roles or retiring,” the spokesman said in an email.
“Additionally, where possible, we are encouraging owners to correct illegal conversions without evicting people from their homes — issuing vacate orders only as a last resort when conditions pose a danger to the life of a tenant.”
8 comments:
The people who check on these illegal conversions are just useless to begin with. They only knock on a door and if nobody answers, they leave and forget all about the house in the first place. There could be 8 mailboxes with 8 different names on the mailboxes and they would still just leave a note on your door claiming that they were there. What a bunch of useless nobodies that work for the quality of life unit!
So vacate orders have declined by almost half but SROs have increased by about 50%. Hmmmmmm.
Could if be that the DOB is being bribed? Oh wait a minute, weren't about 16 inspectors arrested for bribery last year? Isn't our past councilman in jail for taking bribes?
Queens was sold to the highest bidder.
DOB has a "quality of life unit"?
LOL! Isn't that's what they call an oxymoron?
A lot of bribe money must be being passed to DOB inspectors not to issue vacate orders.
Like we told you..in NYC REBNY rules!
Where is that second wave of arrests that we were expecting? They made the first 50. Surely, some of those arrested are going to drop a dime on some of their friends and associates.
Why drop the dime on your buddies when you can drop off ten thousand dollars with the Mayor and get off scot free?
Somebody call Marcia Kramer. Shes the only person that can really get the mayor to talk.
Come on the homeless needs a place to stay. Our Mayor pays $300 a week for a room. Who's in?
Department of investigation is responsible for this corruption .
They are the one ignoring this problem so many years .
They should be the next for cleanup.
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