Troy, NY Code Violation Reporting: Response Times (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Report or complaint received by the Commissioner
- Written notice to
- Owner, lessor, lessee and mortgagee
- Progress check
- 30 days after the warning
- Order mailing
- Within one business day of posting
- Enforcement start
- Five business days after posting
- Maximum closure
- Six months from posting of the order
Summary
In the City of Troy, New York, once the Commissioner of Public Works receives a report or complaint of a public nuisance tied to Penal Law Article 220, 221 or 230 violations, written notice goes to the owner, lessor, lessee and mortgagee. After 30 days without progress the Commissioner can act, orders are mailed within one business day of posting, and enforcement can start five business days after posting.
B. Enforcement actions. Upon receipt of a report or complaint, or upon otherwise learning of or making a determination that a public nuisance as defined in § 205-13 above exists, the Commissioner shall give notice in writing of the existence of such public nuisance to the owner, lessor, lessee and mortgagee, if any, ... If after 30 days the Commissioner determines that no progress has been made towards compliance with the terms of such warning and the abatement of such nuisance, the Commissioner may, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, act as follows: ... D. Orders of the Commissioner issued pursuant to this article shall be posted at the building, structure, place or premises, apartment or dwelling unit where the public nuisance exists and shall be mailed by ordinary mail to the owner of record thereof within one business day of such posting. E. Five business days after the posting of an order issued pursuant to Subsection B(2) of this section and upon the written directive of the Commissioner, such action as is necessary and required to act upon, implement and enforce such orders may be undertaken as directed by the Commissioner.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 205, Article II of the Troy City Code, adopted by Local Law No. 2-1997 of the Troy City Council, sets the clock for the City of Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, when the Commissioner of Public Works responds to a reported public nuisance. It is the code's timed response track for illegal-activity nuisances; weeds and health nuisances run through Article I.
Section 205-14(B) starts the clock on receipt of a report or complaint: the Commissioner gives written notice to the owner, lessor, lessee and mortgagee, if any, and asks them to take all steps necessary to abate the nuisance. The notice carries a warning, in at least ten-point type, that failure to comply can result in padlocking. If after 30 days the Commissioner determines no progress has been made, the Commissioner can, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, issue a cease and desist order or a closure order. Orders are posted at the premises and mailed by ordinary mail to the owner of record within one business day of posting, and five business days after posting the Commissioner can direct action to enforce them. A closure lasts as long as the Commissioner directs but never more than six months from posting, and a closure order is barred if the Commissioner determines the owner acted in good faith to abate the nuisance.
Under § 205-13, a public nuisance means premises where Penal Law Article 220, 221 or 230 violations are occurring with two or more criminal arrests in the twelve-month period before the proceeding, or two or more convictions in the thirty-six-month period. An arrest within 30 days before the notice is prima facie evidence. Orders are reviewable under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules (§ 205-16).
Other deadlines sit nearby. In Article I, an abatement order specifies the time within which the nuisance is to be removed (§ 205-7(B)), contracts are awarded within 24 hours after the order is placed in the official's hands, and the work must begin within 48 hours after acceptance (§ 205-10(A)). Weeds get five days' notice under § 205-2(C).
Violations & Fines
Using or occupying premises ordered closed, or mutilating, defacing or removing a posted order, is a violation under § 205-15(A) punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or a term of imprisonment not to exceed 15 days, or both, provided the order contains notice of the penalty. Intentionally or willfully disobeying or resisting an order is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both (§ 205-15(B)).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Troy Commissioner wait before ordering closure?
How fast are orders mailed and enforced in Troy?
Can an owner stop a closure order in Troy?
Does this timetable apply to a weedy lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Troy
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