A new rule has been adopted outlining new penalties for office buildings over 100 feet that did not file the required reports demonstrating compliance with retroactive sprinkler requirements.
Local Law 26 of 2004 added section 27-929.1 to the 1968 Building Code which retroactively mandated a full sprinkler system in office buildings 100 feet tall or more. Reports indicating that applications had been filed to install such sprinkler systems were required to be filed by July 1, 2019. For more information on reporting requirements see Buildings Bulletin 2017-017.
The new rule creates new civil penalties if an acceptable sprinkler report was not filed . A civil penalty of $5,000 per year will be issued for failure to file a report beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending on the filing date of an acceptable report. In addition to the penalty for failure to file, a civil penalty for late filing will be issued for $1,000 per month beginning on February 1, 2022 and ending on the filing date of an acceptable report.