Sunday, December 16, 2012

APT MD ELECTRICAL PERMIT - NOT KOSHER!

NYC Buildings Work Permits bear this warning:
Tampering with or knowingly making a false entry in or falsely altering this permit is a crime that is punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both.
In the last installment, it was revealed that one week after the owners were slapped with a SWO due to illegal work in apt. MD, they were at it again, literally at the same time, on at least 2 other units: 2D and 6D. No electrical permits were taken out when one was for apt. MD. Astounding!
On 12/12/2012, a complaint was filed for the illegal electrical work being done, absent a permit, in apartments 2D and 6D. Indicating that someone in  Rose Associates management is actually paying attention, the master electrician responsively filed permit applications  (12/13/2012). We noted, however, that he had filed one for 2B, instead of 2D. Responsively, on 12/14/2012, a "change" was e-Filed.
On viewing the new printable permit, it briefly appeared that the error was corrected:

Above: Corrected Electrical Permit for Apt. 2D
However, on review of the App # Z137735, additional problems were found.
First, while 2D was added, 2B is still on the permit application:

Original reads: Total Units: 24 units
The column marked "Apt." should have only one apartment unit per line. For two units, there should have been two lines. Further, we no longer know how many of the 24 fixtures and receptacles are for 2D, and how many are for 2B. 
The WORK DESCRIPTION shows only 1 new panel:

Since we know in fact that no work is planned for occupied 2B; and also know that a new panel was installed in 2D, we conclude that it is not honest for 2B to be listed on the permit. The Master Electrician had an ethical duty to fully correct the application, not just to change what the printable permit reads. Apartment 2B should no longer appear.
In fact, the honest response to the error of filing for the wrong apartment should have been to dump the one for 2B, and submit a new one for 2D. But that would have left it open for a no permit citation. Was it fudged? After all, who reads these things?
It gets worse.
After finding these problems, the whole application for Apt. 2B / 2D was reviewed. Note that these permits are "e-Filed", and we do not know if the Master Electrician actually went to the site and inspected the already completed job to which he e-Filed signed his name.
View from the Top - Apt. 2D
Electrical Application  #: Z137735
At the top it states that only unit 2D is applied for, while below it includes 2B. One must be wrong.
Note the original date - 12/13/2012 - and the date of "Last Change" - 12/14/2012. While he added 2D, he failed to remove 2B.
But the most troubling "error" of all was not noticed before.
NYC Buildings asks the applicant:
Was the work started or filed by others?
The licensed Master Electrician answered:
NO
This was most definitely a false statement. The work was virtually completed prior to his filing the application. The apartment's lights were left on over the weekend, as seen from the street on Friday, December 14, 2012. [- With garbage displayed in the window.]  
He should have responded:
YES

Is the Permit Application for Apartment MD "Legal"?
All of the above indicates that the permit application for MD should be revisited.
NYC Buildings asks the applicant:
Was the work started or filed by others?
The licensed Master Electrician answered:
NO
Now, with 2D / 2B, someone might attempt to argue that the work was not started by others.
But here, in MD, there was a stop Work Order, BECAUSE, specifically for the reason, that the electrical work had been started, by others, with no permit.
Should he not have responded thus? -->
YES
Meanwhile, the permit for 2D is not posted, not on the apartment door, nor on the building entry. After all, the work is done, one day after seeking the application. So who needs that darn permit anyhow?!
6D has it posted on the apartment door, but also not on the building.

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