Well, in terms of sidewalk violations, I must admit that the DOT is doing a remarkable job. Especially in New York City. Damaged and unsupervised sidewalks can end up making a lot of inconveniences, especially in a city like New York, where daily millions of people walk down the streets to chase their dreams.
Think of it this way, on a pleasant Monday morning; you’re walking down the street, going towards your office. On your way, you’re enjoying your favorite cup of Starbucks coffee when suddenly you trip and spills your perfect copy all over your dress, along with hurting your foot thumb. All of this because someone didn’t care about repairing his/her damaged sidewalk. Awful, right?
To avoid such unpleasant outcomes, the DOT issues sidewalk violations to property owners with damaged sidewalks. Mostly, the violation is a friendly reminder to get the sidewalk checked and repaired as soon as possible. But in some cases, primarily due to the ignorance and total negligence of the property owner, this friendly violation notice can turn into a heavy fine. And trust me, by heavy, I mean heavy fine indeed.
So, what are the fines that you may have to pay in terms of sidewalk violations? To avoid these fines, make sure to avail sidewalk violation repair NYC and Sidewalk Violation Removal NYC Services.
Sidewalk Repairing
In NYC, the City can’t repair the sidewalks throughout the city, at least not without introducing some new tax. That’s why the DOT is just a regulatory authority in case of sidewalk violations. In other words, the DOT will only supervise if there’s any sidewalk across the city that needs to be repaired and will notify the owner to repair asap. The sidewalk repairing charges have to be paid by the owner himself/herself. Now, the repairing charges across the streets of NYC vary. Mainly depending upon the condition of the sidewalk. Let’s say the charges for removing extended tree roots from the sidewalk and repairing the damaged concrete blocks will have a considerable price difference.
Moreover, the charges will also vary depending upon the contractor you’re hiring to do the job. A well-reputed sidewalk contractor with years of experience will surely demand more as compared to a mediocre or lower-level contractor with zero or low proven track record. Remember, drop the idea of buying a 10$ cement pack and DIYing the sidewalk yourself. The DOT is stringent regarding the community guidelines for sidewalk violations. So, it’s always a better option to go with a professional contractor if you want to clear the violation notice asap.
Delay Penalty
It’s true, for most cases, the sidewalk violation is an owner-friendly reminder to get your sidewalk repaired for the greater good of the general public. But in some cases, this friendly reminder may turn into a heavy penalty fine. Sometimes, the property owners don’t care about the sidewalk, even after several sidewalk violations issued by the DOT. Mainly because they think that the City is looting them in this way, or someone walking down the street should watch where they are going.
Due to these ignorant and kind of rude behaviors, the DOT has the authority to charge the specific property owner a fine, depending upon the damage to the sidewalk or the urgency of the matter. Moreover, the violation filed in the County Clerk office may need extra fines to get removed if left unattended for a long time. I think it is a just way to make sure that the property owners don’t ignore these sidewalk violations just because they think nothing will happen.
Conclusion
Well, there’s no doubt that the DOT is doing a fantastic job of maintaining the infrastructure of a city like New York! Most of the time, the DOT prefers to divert the attention of the property owners towards their damaged sidewalks, all to ensure that someone’s day isn’t ruined just because he/she tripped over on his way. After all, the sidewalk is part of your property, not the City’s. And sometimes, I think it’s just too fine someone a certain amount if he/she shows constant behavior of arrogance even when things like this are part of our community duties and community rights of everyone around us.