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SCHENECTADY
City adds fees for work done without permit
Contractors face stiffer penalty for going around code enforcers
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

Schenectady is cracking down on contractors who sneak past code enforcers and do work without getting a permit. In addition to a stop work order, contractors who are caught working without a permit will be fined $500, according to the city’s new fee structure. The City Council unanimously approved the new fees Monday. Finance Commissioner Ismat Alam said the $500 fine was designed to get contractors to actually pay for their permits. “We want them to comply,” she said. Acting Building Inspector Richard Alois said the previous penalty was so small it didn’t seem to be a deterrent. “They’re sneaking in at night, on weekends,” he said.
    Contractors who were caught had to pay double the permit fee for their work, but those fees are based on the total cost of the project. To avoid a large fee, many contractors facing a double fee simply lied and reported a far lower project cost, Alois said.
    Now, they will pay the double fee as well as $500.
    Last year, 285 contractors were caught working without permits. If the city had charged them all $500, Schenectady would have taken in $142,500 in revenue. While Alam said the fine is intended to encourage compliance, she also argued that it would help bring in more revenue, at least until contractors learn their lesson.
    Alois stressed that the goal is ensuring that work is done correctly. .....................>>>>.................>>>>..........................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00901&AppName=1