Search any NYC property for Environmental Control Board violations — penalty amounts, OATH hearing status, payment history, and lien risk. RegWatch indexes 1.8M+ ECB cases across all five boroughs.
1.8M+ ECB cases indexed · OATH hearing data · Updated daily
ECB (Environmental Control Board) violations are administrative penalty cases heard by OATH (Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings). ECB violations are issued by multiple agencies including DOB, FDNY, DEP, and DSNY — with fines ranging from $250 to $25,000+. You can search ECB violations through the official OATH portal (nyc.gov/oath) or the ECB portal. Unpaid ECB fines can become judgments and liens against the property. For a comprehensive search of ECB violations alongside DOB and HPD data, RegWatch indexes 1.8M+ ECB cases:
The Environmental Control Board (ECB), now part of OATH (Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings), is NYC's administrative court for building, fire, environmental, and quality-of-life violations. RegWatch indexes 1.8 million+ ECB cases across all five boroughs. When a city agency like DOB, FDNY, or DEP issues a violation, the case is adjudicated through ECB.
ECB violations differ from DOB violations or HPD violations in a critical way: they carry monetary penalties. While a DOB violation flags a code issue, the associated ECB case is where the fine is assessed, contested, and collected. A single property can have dozens of ECB cases, each with its own hearing, ruling, and payment status.
ECB penalties vary widely based on the violation type, severity, and whether it's a repeat offense:
Penalties can be doubled for default judgments (when the owner fails to appear at the hearing) and further increased for repeat violations. Some ECB fines accrue interest after 60 days.
This is the critical risk for property buyers and lenders: unpaid ECB fines become liens against the property. The process works like this:
Title companies routinely flag ECB liens during closings, and outstanding balances can delay or kill deals. Use a lien search to check for ECB judgments before making an offer. For investors, undiscovered ECB liens represent hidden costs that reduce the actual return on a property acquisition.
RegWatch pulls ECB violation data alongside DOB, HPD, and other agency records — giving you a complete compliance picture in one search. For each property, you'll see:
For property managers and portfolio investors, RegWatch monitors ECB activity across all your buildings — alerting you to new violations before they escalate into costly liens.
DOB violations flag building code issues (illegal work, unsafe conditions). ECB violations are the administrative penalty cases that result from those and other agency violations. Think of DOB as the "what" and ECB as the "how much you owe."
Yes. Property owners can request a hearing at OATH where an administrative law judge reviews the case. You can present evidence, request adjournments, and negotiate penalties. However, failing to appear results in a default judgment with potentially doubled penalties.
Yes. Unpaid ECB fines become liens on the property and must be cleared before title can transfer. Title companies flag these during closing searches. Outstanding ECB balances can delay or kill deals.
ECB fines range from $250 (minor DSNY violations) to $25,000+ (serious DOB violations like illegal work or unsafe conditions). Default judgments can double the penalty, and some fines accrue interest after 60 days.
Enter any NYC address on RegWatch to see all ECB cases, penalty amounts, payment status, and whether fines have become liens. Results include DOB, HPD, and other violations alongside ECB data.
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