Jack Jaffa & Associates

Good news!

LL126, which was originally supposed to go into effect on September 28th, will now only be going into effect on January 1, 2024.

This law requires property owners to have a qualified professional perform an inspection on their parapets annually for all buildings fronting the right of way, regardless of height. For more information on your requirements, you can check out Jack's previous LinkedIn post on this topic. (link in comment)

Because everyone knows Compliance Reviews go better with bagel breakfasts.

Michael Jaffa's most recent compliance review was with our outstanding client, American Development Group, and while the bread and butter of the meeting was a comprehensive review of their compliance, highlighting areas where the compliance team can save even more money and avoid future problems, the bagels definitely stole the show. 😄

In light of Citizens Financial Group's acquisition of Investors Bank and HSBC NYC locations mid-last-year, our COO Michael Jaffa met with the key players of this merger and the Citizens compliance team to ensure that ALL locations are compliant and violation-free.

When mergers, acquisitions, or any other change occurs, our team highly recommends undergoing a compliance review like this. Or you don't need to have a major change either. It's always good to set up a meet and greet with Michael to ensure absolute compliance across your entire portfolio. You can reach out to our office staff to set up a Java with Jaffa meeting. As a bonus, Michael usually comes with goodies for your team!

It's good to know that no matter what change happens in the NYC financial or real estate landscapes, one thing remains constant, our team's commitment to ensuring the compliance and safety of all their clients' properties.

While generally we associate the summer months with hurricanes, did you know that September and October are PEAK HURRICANE SEASON in NYC?

Here's to hoping that we get spared from any hurricanes this season, but at the same time, making sure we're prepared for the possibility of one.

Our team at Jack Jaffa & Associates shares their pro tips on how to ensure your property is prepared and compliant in the eventuality of a hurricane.

Tip #1: Make sure that every year an evacuation plan is included in your annual safety mailings and sent to your tenants. Having a clear evacuation plan can ensure your tenants' safety during any emergency. Safety Mailings's season is around the corner, so this is a good time to think about and create an evacuation plan to include.

Tip #2: If your buildings are located in a hurricane evacuation zone, make sure to have posters with the evacuation notice displayed, as per local law 103. You can print evacuation notice posters from the NYC.gov site (link in comments)

Tip #3: What do they say about an ounce of prevention, again?
That said, it's definitely worth inspecting your buildings to ensure that they are hurricane-ready. You may also want to review your insurance coverage, make sure that sump pumps and drainage systems are working properly to prevent flooding, and get a backup power generator if your property relies on electricity.

For more tips on getting your property safe in case of a hurricane, you can check out this blog from our ECB Hearing team member, Steven Pasternak (link in comments)
Here's hoping for a hurricane-free season, and regardless of what the weather brings, stay safe, stay compliant, and always stay violation-free.

I know the school year just started, so you don't really want to think about the year ending and what that means in terms of your buildings' compliance.

But you know as well as I do while we'd all love to put off this dreaded task, the sooner you start working on it, the more efficient you can be about the process.

Look for my upcoming posts on 4 ways to make this task that should not be mentioned (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, check out below), easier, more efficient, and just simply better.

HPD audits are no joke. The amount of records that are required can be overwhelming.

And while we would rather bury our heads in the sand when it comes to audits, with audits at an all-time high, it's better to be prepared for the possibility of one. In the latest JAQ, we break down the steps you need to take in case of an audit.

Help, I’ve been audited by the HPD, now what? Help, I’ve been audited by the HPD, now what?

There's nothing that marks the end of summer better than back-to-school sales in all the stores.

Well, that and the return of compliance deadlines, starting with the September 1st deadline to register your residential multiple (3+ units or 1-2 units if the owner or owner's immediate family doesn't live in the building) dwelling annually with the HPD.

The easiest way to file is by going to the PROS website (link in comment).

If you fail to register, you may receive civil penalties of $250-$500, issued Orders, and will be ineligible to certify violations, request a code violation dismissal, or initiate court action if your tenant fails to pay rent.

We'll be sure to remind you again, but like we always say, the early bird....avoids penalties and violations...and personally, we think that's a whole lot better than a worm. 😁

We have a saying at our office: Stay AHEAD of the LEAD!

And while the rhyming makes this seem cute and all, it's no joke. Because of the high-exposure risk Lead presents, especially to young children, NYC is constantly updating its lead laws and is very strict when it comes to non-compliance.

Our latest blog, by our director of Lead Investigations, Nate Weinberg, breaks down the latest lead laws to hit NYC so you can do exactly what we say, stay ahead of your lead compliance.

New Lead Laws New Lead Laws

It's always great to see the material our Jack Jaffa & Associates team puts together to help our clients being put to use at our clients' offices.

Want really great resources for your compliance management?

Check out our resource center (link in comment). It contains our Jaffa minutes (short synopses of the laws), in-depth blogs on relevant topics, informative, instructional, and some fun videos, a compliance calendar, checklists for a variety of tasks, useful links, and my favorite, JAQs, i.e., Jack answered questions.

We love when our team's inboxes look like this.

In the past week, we've successfully dismissed quite a number of civil penalties for a variety of Boiler and Elevator violations.

And that's definitely something our clients & we love to see.

Great job, team!

In recent months our team at Jack Jaffa & Associates has noticed that the DOB Real Time Enforcement Team has started cracking down and enforcing violations per LL188/17. Passed in 2017, this law requires you to sign off on your open permits within 1-year of expiration.

In addition, they have been issuing AEU penalties for hazardous conditions at “construction sites” and since properties are considered "construction sites" if they have an open permit, it's just another reason to sign off on your open permits.

And FYI: this new AEU penalty is applicable to ANY property that has a current active permit.

If you need any assistance with signing off on your open permits, you can reach out to Chase Jaffa, our Director of Permit Services.

Our team had an amazing time at this year's Pcon Conf event! Another great summit by the PCON team. We can't say we didn't hate how our logos looked on the water bottles & pillows at the event. 😉

Plus no surprise that our Director of HPD Field Operations, David Mattel, did an excellent job on his panel discussion with Ahmed Tigani, HPD Deputy Commissioner & Remy Raisner, CEO of the Raisner Group, on Mastering NYC HPD Compliance.

He definitely had valuable insight to offer the attendees of the event, as did Ahmed & Remy. It was an informative panel and event all around.

Looking forward to PCON 2024!

Remember Sesame Street and how each episode was brought to you by a letter or word?

We kind of feel like that this week with our posts.

This week was brought to you by the word "LEAD." 😂

Because while we posted already twice about lead-related posts, we're back again with another lead post.

This time, we want to let you know about a set of new paint laws that were passed this month. Here's a quick run-down of those laws, and look out for a blog from our lead department discussing this topic more at length in the next few days.

1. Record Production - now, when a lead violation is issued, owners need to provide key records, including annual notice and investigations from the past year, within 45 days. After August 2025 (does that date sound familiar? It should if you've been reading my posts), these records will also have to include the reports for your XRF inspection as per LL31. In addition, the new law outlines how to resolve any violations for failure to submit records for 10 years. If your inspections go through our Lead department, all this data can be easily accessed and downloaded from the client portal or the Jaffa deFINEd app.

2. Friction Surface Removal & Abatement - while this was usually required by apartment turnovers, the new laws will require lead-based paint abatement steps, including friction surface removal on doors and win+dows in all applicable units where a child under the age of six resides. You will need to have this completed by July 1, 2027.

3. Lead Paint Property Audits & Inspections - the new law stipulates that the department will identify, inspect and audit 200 properties each year. The properties will be chosen as per consultation with the DOHMH and are those properties that might pose a risk of lead exposure for children. This law takes effect one year after its signing (the law is currently waiting to be signed by the Mayor but will become law automatically after 30 days), so this law will most likely go into effect in late August or early September of 2024.

And hopefully, that will be the end of Lead posts for a while (well, at least until we post the full blog on this topic). But before we end the topic, just a reminder that as per LL31 and now these new laws, make sure you've scheduled your lead inspections already.

In anticipation of LL31 XRF Inspections (that we just mentioned in our last post. You can check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eK32B927), and to better assist our clients, we are expanding our Lead Team.

Welcome Rosie Jaramillo to the Jack Jaffa & Associates team. We know that you will definitely be an asset to our company and clients!

Okay, we've spoken about this before....But we know what you were thinking the last time we told you about your required lead inspections per LL31....I've got plenty of time to take care of this. Why is Jaffa even bothering me about this now?

Well, NEWS FLASH! Today is August 9th.

That means you have just two years (to the date) to complete your XRF inspections by the August 9th, 2025 deadline.

And while I know a lot of you already breathed a sigh of relief when you saw that you have two years to complete this requirement, in reality, when you take into account the number of units that have to be inspected by that date, it's not that much time at all.

We get you, though. XRF inspections are a headache (and one you rather push off for as long as possible).

But no worries, with our EPA-certified inspectors, our lead department is ready and able to help make it a whole lot easier for you. Plus, as a Jaffa client, you're assured a smooth, synchronized process, and all your inspection results are automatically uploaded to your portal for easy access.

But our team's schedule is filling up, and you don't want to wait too long to schedule your properties' XRF inspections.

Need help with your LL31 required inspections? Reach out to our Director of Lead Investigation, Nate Weinberg ([email protected] or 718.855.6110 x 120).

Or read his blog on the topic for more information regarding your requirements with this law. Link in comment.

Are you going to be at the Pcon Conf event today?

If so, make sure to check out our Director of HPD Field Operations, David Mattel's panel, with Ahmed Tigani, HPD Deputy Commissioner & Remy Raisner, CEO of the Raisner Group, on Mastering NYC HPD Compliance.

I'm sure that they will all provide valuable information on how to navigate the complexities of HPD Compliance.

With the sharp uptick in HPD’s COTA/Record audits, more and more NYC property owners and managers are turning to tech for their compliance management.

COO, Michael Jaffa, breaks down the key reasons why you should be digitizing all your compliance but most specifically your inspections.

#1 reason, it will help you stay organized for these audits and help you avoid fines and violations. Plus, with compliance management apps, you're always on top of your compliance, no matter where you are or when you need it.

Personally, saving money, time, and headaches when it comes to your inspections, audits, and compliance requirements? We truly can't think of a reason why you're not already digitizing your compliance.

Why You Should Be Digitizing Your Inspection Process Why You Should Be Digitizing Your Inspection Process

NYC's getting a makeover... okay, not quite a makeover, but in a recent conference with Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi last week, Mayor ERIC ADAMS announced his together with DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo's plan to crack down on scaffolding and unsightly sheds in NYC.

So what does that mean for property managers?

As per the new plan, penalties will be issued for scaffolding or sidewalk sheds up longer or needing repair for longer than 90 days. Penalties can accrue up to $6,000 per month.

In addition, permits for putting up a shed will be cut from one year to 90 days, and every quarter buildings will have to check in with DOB to share their progress.

Long-term sheds that are subject to more focused enforcement (sheds that have been up for five or more years), were increased from about 500 sheds to 1000 sheds (which will now include sheds that have been up for about three years or more).

In addition, the city hopes to encourage other kinds of safety measures, such as netting instead of scaffolding.

So be on the lookout for more regulations regarding these items coming down the pipeline.

You can read the complete transcripts of the conference (link in comments)

As always, I'll be back with more updates on these enforcements and what it means to you.

We're on a roll with the summer JAQs!

Summer brings with it lots of compliance-related questions, which we're happy to answer for you.

In this JAQ, we answer a property owner's concerns regarding his cooling tower compliance.

With health risks and heavy fines involved, you might want to brush up on your requirements.

Now that summer is here, anything specific I should be aware of in terms of my cooling towers’ compliance? Now that summer is here, anything specific I should be aware of in terms of my cooling towers’ compliance?

We can't wait to attend the ReBeach Conference next Monday (July 31st).

Geared exclusively to multi-family and commercial real estate owners, operators, and investors, it promises to be a great opportunity to learn from, network, and schmooze with some of the key players in our industry.

I hope to see you there. Link to register in comments.

Use our exclusive code: JackJaffapromo to receive $100 off registration

The people have spoken, and frankly, I'm not too surprised by their response.

In our poll last week, I asked what's most important to you when choosing a property management app. Almost half of the poll respondents chose data organization as their main priority.

No surprises there, right? Organized data is the property manager's secret, not-so-secret weapon. With audits at an all-time high, not being organized is asking for a nightmare.

Coming in at a not-to-distant second was user experience. And I get that too. If it's not easy to use, it's not going to be easy to get people to use it. And if your team isn't using it, it's kind of pointless, no?

Finally, coming in last was maintenance and repair tracking, which I'm a little surprised at, as balancing the myriad of tasks that maintenance and repair entail is a huge headache, and having a better way to track this data would be important to me.

What do you think? Do you agree with these responses, or do you find them surprising?

At Jack Jaffa & Associates, we consider ourselves lucky to have such an awesome team of employees. That's why we work hard to show them that they are important to our organization and greatly appreciated.

This month's employee treat...a little Java with Jaffa!

Thank you to the Espresso Guys who came down to our NY location to caffeinate our employees and for providing them the fuel that allows them to continue serving our clients to the MAX.

Thank you to the entire Jack Jaffa team. We can't how much you mean to us (and with that, we'll stop with the corny coffee puns)

Since last summer, when Local Law 160 of 2017 was updated to include ALL permits and refers to ECB violation penalties and DOB VIOLATION PENALTIES, even those not related to the ECB, this has been a real concern for NYC property owners and managers.

Check out our latest JAQ to see how you can avoid having your permit revoked due to LL160.

Is my permit at risk of being revoked because of LL160? Is my permit at risk of being revoked because of LL160?

In our line of business, being organized and having smooth processes are the name of the game.
But as the saying goes (well, even if it doesn't exist, I just coined it), "Your processes are only as good as your management tool. And your management tool is only as good as the people who use it."

So even though your best tool will always be your team members, I'm curious, what feature is most important to you when deciding on a property management tool?

Do you simply need an interface that is completely user-friendly?

Or is it uber-important for you to have organized files?

Or perhaps, paramount to you is the ability to track maintenance and repairs.

Or none of these are really deal breakers for you, and the real must-have is something entirely different. (If so, please share! I'd love to hear what it is.)

Let us know in the comments or by answering our poll.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631078338099509/permalink/990014862205853/

I came across this article and wanted to know your thoughts.

Are New Yorkers justified in just wanting a quieter, cleaner NYC, or are violations being given in excess so that these ticket writers can make a quick buck?

IMO, the payment for ticket process seems to foster an overzealous ticket environment, and while New Yorkers do deserve a quieter, cleaner city, I sincerely hope that these ticket writers are truly altruistic.

NYC property owners and managers who are compliant with NYC law are already doing their utmost to ensure the safety of their buildings and tenants, and unwarranted fines and penalties are unacceptable.

What are your thoughts?

I-Team: How one NYC resident makes a living writing thousands of noise tickets Owners of several New York City bars, restaurants, and shops say they are fed up with an avalanche of city summonses for noise violations. But these tickets are not being written by city employees, they’re being written and filed by civilians who stand to make 25-50% of the fines collected. “It....

Happy July 4th!

While we all enjoy the fireworks, barbecues, and vacation from work, I'm going to get a little philosophical here.

While it's easy as a property manager to get frustrated at the local laws and regulations that can be inconvenient and annoying, it's worth taking a minute to be grateful to live in the good ol' US of A.

Politics and problems aside, on this day, we appreciate the chance to live in freedom and peace.

And as a proud American, I, for one, am grateful to live in a country of freedom and democracy.

If you haven't heard yet, the Jaffa deFINEd app is really proving to be a total game-changer on so many levels. And when it comes to building compliance, who wouldn't want a few aces up their sleeve?

Thanks to the Jaffa deFINEd app, that's exactly what you have.

Today's featured feature?
Ace audits using effortlessly organized records

Case in point:

Company A doesn’t use the Jaffa deFINEd app. and this is what a typical audit looks like for them.

1. Company A gets notified of an upcoming audit. After stressing out, panicking, and taking some deep breaths, they begin preparing their records.

2. Hours are spent combing through records to see which files are missing. Then, even more, time is spent searching for those files in the office and on text and WhatsApp threads.

3. Each file needs to be manually uploaded and saved, and compiled to present as a report to the City.

4. Hope and pray that they really have all the documentation the city is asking for, sometimes up to 10 years of data. (I'm getting stressed just thinking about it.)

Contrast that with Company B, which very wisely uses the Jaffa deFINEd app.

Company B gets notified of an upcoming audit. Office staff quickly checks over the records to make sure all’s in order and sends the already prepared report to the City, then gets back to their regular scheduled day: no sweat, no panic, zero tears.

As I said, the Jaffa deFINEd app is the ultimate game-changer, and managing your audits with the app is just a whole ‘nother game!

Get in the game today and download the app. Link in comment

It's no wonder our recent JAQs are all summer-related. Although with the weird weather we've been having, it's easy to forget that for property owners and managers, summer months mean a surge of power usage as every person simultaneously hits that AC button.

In this JAQ, a property manager wants to know how they can keep their residents cool in the summer while still complying with energy conservation guidelines. And I've got to admit, it's a real balancing act!

Check out the latest JAQ for some tips to stay cool both literally and figuratively this summer.

How do I balance energy conservation compliance with keeping residents cool? How do I balance energy conservation compliance with keeping residents cool?

I mean, starting off life with 5 properties definitely is a game changer.

And while we're not handing out free properties (sorry for that), our Jaffa deFINEd app is changing the rules of compliance management, making it more organized, efficient, and streamlined than ever.

Featured feature:

Turn your information flow into a walk on the boardwalk.

Case in point:
Take a typical day in the life of company A who doesn't use the Jaffa deFINEd App.

1. Onsite team takes pictures and gets signatures at various work sites and buildings throughout the day.

2. Onsite team returns to the office and shares the photos and signatures with the in-office team.

3. In-office team manually uploads all the new information to the company database.

Contrast that with Company B who uses our app.

1. Onsite team takes pictures and gets signatures directly in the app. The pictures and signatures are automatically uploaded to the company’s portal so everyone can access them anytime, anywhere.

In short, maintaining an efficient information flow with the app is a whole ‘nother game!

To start playing on another level, download the Jaffa deFINEd app today. Link in comments

Just another quick reminder about your requirement to inspect parapets, as per LL126, which came into effect 7 months ago.

You can check out my previous post to find out more about your requirements regarding this law. https://lnkd.in/eKwjqny2

Now that the weather is warmer (or at least it was up to this week), it's worth making sure your rooftops are safe!

And I'm back with another new guideline, a la NYC's war on rats. You'd think man vs. rat would be an easy war, but apparently, it requires more ammunition in the form of more laws.

The newest weapon in NYC's arsenal: Local Law 109.

As per this law, construction sites that fall under certain criteria will now require a licensed exterminator to treat the premises for rodent extermination.

How do you know if your building that's under construction falls under this criteria and requires an exterminator?

Glad you asked. The law lays out the 3 instances in which you would be required to be compliant with this law.

If you are doing any of the following:

- Demolishing more than 50% of the gross floor area of the building

- Altering more than 50% of the gross floor area of the building

- Performing a vertical or horizontal enlargement that adds more than 25% of the area of the building..then you need to get yourself a licensed exterminator, pronto!

Not only that but as of June 6th, permit applicants that fall under these categories will be required to certify on the PW1 that a licensed exterminator has been retained as per the requirement of the DOHMH.

Here's hoping that these new guidelines, inconvenient as they are, actually help us win this war and finally get rid of NYC rats!

Guess what?

There are more garbage cans coming to town!

And while it's going to affect anyone living in NYC, it's going to impact those of us in property management especially.

On June 8th, the New York City Council approved a bill requiring New Yorkers to separate their food waste from regular trash.

So, in addition to the regular recycling that New Yorkers are required to do, they will now also have to compost their food waste. (Tons of fun, right?)

This was a voluntary program until now, but with the passing of the bill, it'll become mandatory.

How soon are we talking about?

This new bill is going to be rolled out borough by borough, with Brooklyn and Queens starting in October, the Bronx and Staten Island in March 2024, and Manhattan in October 2024.

There will be fines for non-compliant landlords and building managers, similar to the fines for not recycling. So now another man's trash may be your fine...(personally, I'd prefer treasure).

As always, I'll keep you posted on any new updates as they come out!

The Jaffa deFINEd app is rewriting the rules of compliance, making it more organized, efficient, and streamlined than ever. And trust us, with the capabilities, flexibility, and mobility our app provides, it truly is a game changer.

“How so?” you ask. The app’s inspections modules allow you to become King of inspections.

Take, for example, Company A. Company A doesn’t use our app. Their inspection process typically looks like this:

1. The office employee checks compliance guidelines and manually schedules each inspection.

2. The office employee prints out checklists for the inspector and then modifies them according to the inspection.

3. The inspector picks up the checklist and heads out to the site.

4. Inspector fills out the checklist, takes pictures, and gets signatures

5. Inspector sends the checklists, pictures, and signatures to the office via text, WhatsApp, or email

6. The office staff has to upload each file to their folders manually, searching through email or text threads to find the right files.

7. Repeat this process for the next inspection and the next and the next...

And, of course, there are the missed inspections and their fallout.

Contrast that with Company B, which uses our app.

1. With a few clicks on our app, the office employee schedules inspections in the app, setting recurring inspections to recur at a set interval or frequency automatically. They can also choose to combine inspections for maximum efficiency and customizes the checklist to the specific inspection.

2. The inspector inspects the site checking off the checklist on their phone, taking pictures, and even getting signatures in the app.

3. Data automatically syncs to our online portal so the office staff can get real-time updates.

As we said, the app is not just a game changer. Managing your inspections with the app is an entirely other game!

To become a champion of your compliance and inspections, download the Jaffa deFINEd app today: https://bit.ly/Jaffa_gamechanger