‘Non-essential’ construction workers nailed
City building inspectors are running speed-trap-style operations to catch contractors violating a coronavirus ban on “non-essential” construction work — and to slap homeowners with maximum $10,000 fines, The Post has learned.
A Department of Buildings inspector spent at least 45 minutes Tuesday morning staked out at the intersection that leads to the ritzy Douglas Manor neighborhood in northwestern Queens.
“I’m an elevator guy normally, but they got us all doing this now,” the inspector told The Post.
“Except for essential work, there are no inspections. So to keep us all working, they got us out making sure everybody complies with the governor’s order.”
Meanwhile, an electrician who was hired by a homeowner said he was “followed” to the house by a different inspector on Monday — then drove off when the inspector pulled alongside his van and parked across the street.
The electrician said he wanted to work, but that getting fined “makes it not worth it.”
Last week, he said, the same inspector who tailed him had pounced on a floor refinisher, slapping the contractor with a $2,500 fine plus $1,000 for each of his helpers — along with the maximum $10,000 fine for the homeowner.
“They had just opened the van and brought the floor sanders onto his property,” the electrician said.
“The homeowner said, ‘Pack up and get the hell out of here.’ ”
That inspector told The Post that a violation occurs as soon as a contractor “steps onto the property.”
“The fine for having any work done is $10,000. First offense. No exceptions,” he said.
Under restrictions imposed by Gov. Cuomo that went into effect on March 31, new construction work on private homes is generally limited to jobs “necessary to protect the health and safety of the occupants,” according to information posted on the DOB’s Web site.
The DOB denied that it had a policy of lying in wait for contractors violating the ban on non-essential work, but said that inspectors are expected to investigate if they see something suspicious.
“We are aggressively enforcing the governor’s ban on non-essential construction to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” spokesman Andrew Rudanksy said.
The DOB said it had issued about 200 stop-work orders and related violations at both commercial and residential work sites, and noted that homeowners can apply for permits for non-essential work.