Queens Homeowner Cited For Construction That Punctured Gas Line

FLORAL PARK, QUEENS — A Floral Park homeowner could be fined as much as $25,000 for doing illegal construction, after workers in the basement punctured a gas main that serves more than two dozen homes.

Inspectors with the NYC Department of Buildings slapped the homeowner on 260th Street with a violation for doing work without a permit and ordered all construction to be halted on the site, according to city records and an agency spokesperson.

If an administrative judge upholds that violation, the homeowner faces a maximum civil penalty of $25,000, Department of Buildings spokesperson Andrew Rudansky told Patch.

The homeowner could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Department of Buildings' investigation unfolded Wednesday after residents of 260th Street between Hillside Avenue and East Williston Avenue reported smelling gas.

Con Edison crews found that workers in one home's basement had cut into the high-pressure gas main that supplies 28 households along that block, Patch previously reported.

Department of Buildings inspectors found that the workers had been removing a wall in the basement when they damaged the gas line.

Workers had performed structural, electrical wiring and gas plumbing work as part of a gut renovation of the single-family home — all without obtaining required work permits, according to the Department of Buildings spokesperson.

Under the law, New York City owners homeowners have a responsibility to ensure their property complies with building codes and that all construction work on their property has the proper permits, the spokesperson said.

The agency is still investigating and may take additional enforcement measures.