DOB Cracks Down on eFiled LAAs

By Mario Aurioso 

In case you haven’t heard, the Limited Alteration Application (LAA) Division of the Department of Buildings has been cracking down on eFiled LAAs. Specifically, we’re seeing a spike in audits because certain scopes of work cannot be eFiled—and yet they are. (Click here for a full list of these no-no’s.)

Have you been flagged?

If the LAA Audit Division has identified your application as non-compliant, a red “Open Issues” banner will appear on your LAA in the Buildings Information System (BIS). At this point, the licensed contractor cannot proceed with work until the banner is removed. The Audit Division will send the contractor a disapproved checklist by email, if provided, or snail mail.

If for some reason the contractor doesn’t receive the checklist, he or she needs to request it by email at LAA-Audit@building.nyc.gov.

The clock is ticking . . .

After the LAA Audit Division flags the application, you have 15 business days to resolve the audit issues. Failure to respond within that timeframe will result in a “Notice to Revoke” banner on your LAA. Once you’ve been put on notice, you have 15 business days to fix outstanding issues. Otherwise, the DOB will revoke the LAA, which creates big problems for the contractor.

Specifically, the Enforcement Unit will issue two violations:

• False documentation of an LAA. This violation carries a $4,800, issued to the licensed contractor.
• Work Without a Permit. Also issued to the contractor, this violation carries a minimum penalty of $5,000.

Moral of the story

Before eFiling those LAAs, confirm the scope of work does not appear on the restricted list above. If the damage has been done, check your application status and correct any issues within the 15-day compliance window.

Bottom line: You don’t want to run the risk of a Work Without a Permit violation because all work stops until the violation is paid and the banner is cleared.