There’s only one month to go to take advantage of NYC’s Amnesty Program for Environmental Control Board fines. Through December 12th, the Department of Finance will reduce certain penalties and waive interest on base amounts for violations in judgment. These include violations from the Departments of Buildings, Transportation, Sanitation and Environmental Protection. Sorry, parking violations are NOT included in this program.
If you own a commercial vehicle that regularly comes into the City or own or lease any property here, it is in your interest to see if there are outstanding violations at the ECB that are eligible for reduction. Similarly, if you have any contracts with the City or are regulated by the City’s Business Integrity Commission, clearing up your old violations is essential. Here’s the link to the City’s website explaining the program and the steps one needs to take.
Here’s how the program works: Violations must be in judgment. That means that the City has taken the legal step of filing a public record of your liability in court after a default for the entire amount due, plus additional interest. Criminal violations and violations over $25,000 are excluded. The typical resolution is to take off the late penalties and the interest, bringing the amount due down to the original base fine on the notice of violation. The website posted above contains a link to search your name and address to find eligible violations. While its something you can do yourself, attorney Arthur Miller (one of our publishers and contributors) handles these matters for clients regularly. He can be reached at 718-997-0641 or arthur@amlawny.com
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