One Killed And Five Injured After Four-Story Parking Lot Collapses In New York City
ForbesMAR 28 2023
This is a tragedy, but New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials have been doing what they can to increase building safety, including passing a 2021 law aimed at penalizing property owners who fail to correct building code violations. These fines, which could add up to $1K per day, should convince property owners to maintain a safe environment for residents and visitors.
The new law has the right intentions but comes up short in its enforcement. Judges still have discretion on fines levied, so penalties can start as low as one penny, and are rarely issued. In addition, issuing fines after construction breeds a “build now, ask for forgiveness later” culture. This system is broken and out of touch, and more must be done.