NYC Inspectors Stake Out Buildings to Catch Nonessential Construction; Floor Refinisher Fined $2,500

Building inspectors in New York City are staking out homes to catch nonessential contractors working in violation of the city’s construction ban during the pandemic, the New York Post reports.

An electrician who reported being followed by a building inspector told the Post the same inspector caught a floor refinisher unloading sanding machines at a home and fined the refinisher $2,500, plus $1,000 for each of the wood floor pro’s helpers. The homeowner who hired the refinisher received a fine of $10,000––the maximum penalty under the city’s construction ban, according to the report.

“They had just opened the van and brought the floor sanders onto his property,” the electrician told the Post. “The homeowner said, ‘Pack up all this crap and get the hell out of here.’”

The violation occurs when the contractor steps onto the property, according to the report. In this case, the floor refinishing company, which is not named in the report, had not started any work at the home when it was fined.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo began lifting construction bans in some parts of the state May 15.