DOB to raze 200 NYC homes

The New York City Department of Buildings is moving to raze about 200 homes in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, which were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, the New York Times reported. Another 500 need to be inspected more closely before a determination can be made about whether or not they’ll need to be demolished.

A DOB spokesperson told the Times that the fees for the demolition would be waived, at least temporarily.

Authorities, from the city and the federal government, will offer “as much assistance as possible” to affected homeowners, the spokesperson said. Homes will not be destroyed without notice unless they present an imminent threat, he added.

The signs left on homes by the DOB have alarmed some residents, as some state that residents could face fines for “failure to maintain to maintain building or apparatus.”

Notices told residents to repair their homes and threatened them with fines, the Times said. One Breezy Point homeowner said he laughed when he saw the sign affixed to his door. Repair his home? “There’s nothing more I would rather do,” Robert Willis told the Times. [NYT] –Guelda Voien