Understanding NYC Sidewalk Violation Notices: What to Do Next
Receiving a sidewalk violation notice means the DOT has inspected your sidewalks and found damages. After receiving the notice, you have 75 days to get these pathways fixed. If you avoid the notice and don’t get the repairs done, the city will complete the work on your behalf and send you a bill.
However, this can result in a sidewalk lien on your property. Getting professional help to fix concrete issues in a timely manner is an efficient choice. Local sidewalk experts in NYC have adequate knowledge of DOT guidelines and they fix the damages as per city guidelines.
When Do You Receive Sidewalk Violation Notice?
When you receive a sidewalk violation notice, it means that your sidewalks might be experiencing the following issues:
- Deep Cracks
- Uneven Slabs
- Tree Root Damages
- Missing Slabs or Cubes
All these damages are tripping hazards. If someone has become a victim of them and received an injury, they can file a complaint against you. After receiving the complaint, NYC DOT visits your property and inspects the sidewalks of the whole block. In the event of damages, you will receive a violation notice.
Understanding the Violation Notice
When you receive a notice from DOT, it is essential to carefully read it and identify the issue with the sidewalk. A violation notice includes the following essential information:
Location of the Property: At the start of the notice, you will see the location of your property and the proper address mentioned. Cross-verify to see that you have received the right violation notice.
Description of the Violation: The notice also describes the state of your sidewalks and how many slabs need repairs.
Severity of Damage: The severity of the damage helps you understand whether you need repair services or a complete replacement of your sidewalks.
Deadline: The notice also mentions the deadline by which you can resolve the issue.
What to Do After Receiving the Notice
After receiving a sidewalk violation, it is time for you to get it fixed before someone becomes a victim. You can follow the step-by-step guide mentioned below:
- Inspecting the Sidewalk: The first step is to inspect the sidewalk and identify the type of service required.
- Taking Professional Help: Instead of trying to fix the damages yourself, hire professional contractors for code-compliant repairs.
Resolving the Violation
Once you hire professional experts, it is now their duty to resolve sidewalk damages on your behalf. The follow
- Provide Essential documents: New York City requires all sidewalk installations to be permitted. For that, you must provide the contractor with essential documents.
- Applying for the Permit: After getting all the required documents, a professional will apply for the permit on your behalf.
- Fixing the Damages: The permit has a deadline of 30 days. You can schedule the time of repairs with the contractors and they will come and fix it as per DOT guidelines.
- Violation Dismissal: After completing the repairs, professionals contact the NYC DOT for violation dismissal.
Pro Tips to Maintain Sidewalks for a Long Time
After fixing the sidewalks, aftercare is essential to keep them in the same condition for a long time. You can follow the guidelines below for optimal results.
- Regularly inspecting the sidewalks will help you identify the damages at an early stage.
- If you notice minor cracks, you can resurface using a thin layer of concrete.
- Timely clean the sidewalks and ensure the growth of vegetation is not harming the sidewalks.
- Use less harsh deicing chemicals to remove the snow so that the surface of the concrete doesn’t get damaged.
- If you want to plant trees near sidewalks, go for the type in which tree roots naturally grow downward.
Conclusion
Receiving the sidewalk violation notice indicates that your sidewalks are a tripping hazard and you must get them fixed in 75 days. After carefully reading and understanding the violation notice, you can hire professional experts and get the damages fixed in no time.
Professionals repair or replace the damaged slabs as per DOT requirements and make your sidewalks safe and accessible for everyone to use. So find the sidewalk contractor in Manhattan and remove the violations today.