Senate Bill S9524

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9524

SPONSOR: CHAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to anonymous chronic 311 complaints

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure that anonymous complaints submitted through the 311 Customer
Service Center regarding conditions in residential buildings are taken
seriously and investigated in good faith, while also preventing the
misuse of the system by limiting repeated investigations of unsubstanti-
ated complaints.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new section (23-315) to the New York City Administra-
tive Code requiring agencies to investigate anonymous 311 complaints
regarding conditions in residential buildings and determine in good
faith whether violations exist. However, if three or more anonymous
              

complaints about the same property within a six-month period are found
to be unsubstantiated, agencies are not required to investigate further
anonymous complaints for that property for three months after the third
complaint.

Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect on the ninetieth day
after it shalt have become a law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Anonymous 311 complaints serve as an important tool for reporting poten-
tially unsafe or unlawful conditions without fear of retaliation, bene-
fiting tenants, neighbors, and the public at large.  Requiring agencies
to investigate such complaints ensures that possible violations are not
ignored. At the same time, repeated unsubstantiated complaints about the
same property can place an unnecessary burden on property owners and
tenants, and strain limited agency resources.

Repeated unsubstantiated anonymous complaints can also impose signif-
icant financial and operational burdens on property owners, who may
incur costs to respond to inspections, document compliance, or address
alleged conditions that ultimately do not exist. Beyond direct expenses,
a pattern of complaints, regardless of their validity, can create nega-
tive perceptions about a property, potentially affecting its market
value and reputation. In some cases, these perceptions may extend to
neighboring properties, influencing broader neighborhood desirability
and economic stability.

By limiting repeated investigations after multiple unsubstantiated
complaints within a set period, the bill helps mitigate unnecessary
costs and reputationat harm, and protect property owners and tenants
from harassment, white ensuring that enforcement resources remain
focused on legitimate issues and that the integrity of the 311 complaint
system is preserved.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become law.