No New C of O After Changing Apartment to Commercial Space

DOB issued a violation notice to landlord for occupation of an altered premises without a valid Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). Landlord had obtained a permit to convert a first floor apartment into commercial space. But, after doing so, landlord didn't file for DOB sign-offs or the new C of O. The ALJ fined landlord $1,000. Landlord appealed and lost. Landlord had no valid excuse, and lack of knowledge about DOB procedure wasn't an excuse. The fact that the altered space was unoccupied also didn't excuse landlord, since the work was complete.

Sobola: ECB App. No. 1000084 (7/22/10) [3-pg. doc.]