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Q&A
Discussion on policy for legalizing existing illegal basement conversions
4:28:47
ยท
3 min
Council Member Pierina Sanchez and Deputy Commissioner Gus Sarakis engage in a discussion about the policy for legalizing existing illegal basement conversions. They explore the details of the pilot program and its implications for property owners.
- Sarakis explains the pilot program's provision for temporary authorization of residency
- Discusses the ten-year compliance timeline and milestones for property owners
- Clarifies that while there's no specific forgiveness for existing penalties, there is a provision for deferral of penalties
- Sanchez raises concerns about constituents owing large amounts for long-standing illegal basements
Pierina Sanchez
4:28:47
Thank you.
4:28:50
Okay and the commissioner also said TBD, there's a long flow chart.
4:28:54
Understood, it's a developing program.
4:28:58
Question that I've received from colleagues at the you know in other parts of the city regarding basements.
4:29:05
There are there are plenty of course of illegal conversions that exist today throughout the city.
4:29:11
What is going to be the policy for folks that come to the administration wanting to legalize their basements?
4:29:18
Is there going to be any sort of amnesty or how are you going to encourage folks that are not in compliance today who are afraid of penalties to enter pilot?
Gus Sarakis
4:29:29
Thanks.
4:29:30
So the pilot program itself is, while it's limited to certain geographic areas, it does have provision in the legislation I believe both from the state level and down to the legislation that was passed along with the city of yes, the opponent to that merely applying for a temporary authorization for residency.
4:29:55
That in itself is an amnesty request to not have a basement apartment that is fully compliant with what you will need at the ten year mark, and it gives the property owner ten years to get into full compliance.
4:30:09
There are a number of milestones along the way that the property owner would need to meet and some minimum criteria.
4:30:14
Obviously, life safety issues need to be accounted for before we can authorize this.
4:30:20
But the idea is that this is actually giving you, as a property owner, the ability to stretch out the time frame for when you can get into full compliance for ten years.
4:30:32
The the legislation itself set sets out specific milestones.
4:30:38
We're currently working with our partner agencies on both the enforcement process for what to what to do when you find an apartment that's outside of compliance right now that has not yet author been authorized for any temporary residency or permanent residency, but they might be eligible as well as the program itself as as well as any of the full safety measures that would need to be in place to authorize one of these units along the way.
Pierina Sanchez
4:31:07
Is there forgiveness for existing penalties if you are if you come to the agency and you're one of the in one of these geographies?
Gus Sarakis
4:31:15
I don't believe there's anything specific for forgiveness, but there is deferral of penalties that's permissible, and this is important necessarily to in in some instances to be able to get a certificate of occupancy issued because of the fact that you might have penalties that would otherwise be required to be paid.
4:31:35
The program, I believe, does authorize the deferral of those penalties.
4:31:38
So we're not letting and we're obviously not closing out the violation if the condition hasn't been corrected.
4:31:44
But if the penalties the penalties are deferred till after the building exits the program.
Pierina Sanchez
4:31:51
Okay.
4:31:52
Thank you.
4:31:52
Thank you for that.
4:31:53
And I'd I'd love to talk about that further.
4:31:55
I've just gotten some incoming from Assembly Member Natalia Fernandez, for instance, with constituents who are in, you know, in the catchment area, but they owe these exorbitant amounts for having, you know, these these basements over time that were used as