Debt Demolisher · NYC OATH Violation Amnesty · Ends January 10, 2027
Can I save money on my OATH Violations through the Amnesty program?
You may, through NYC’s Debt Demolisher amnesty. The City says eligible defaults can be resolved for the base fine; after a hearing, you pay 75% of the imposed fine. Accrued interest is waived in both cases. The deadline is January 10, 2027.
- the City's own figure for eligible judgments
- Up to 75% offthe City's own figure for eligible judgments
- on every eligible judgment
- $0 intereston every eligible judgment
- last day
- January 10, 2027last day
Two tiers
What could I save?
What you pay depends on how the judgment was entered. The program runs through January 10, 2027.
Was I found liable after a hearing?
After a hearingThe case was heard and the hearing officer found a violation. The penalty they imposed is the starting point.
- You pay
- 75% of the fine
- Waived
- All accrued interest
- For example
- $800 fine + $27 interest → you pay $600
What if I missed the hearing?
Default judgmentNo one appeared, so the judgment entered by default with a default penalty on top of the fine.
- You pay
- The base fine
- Waived
- Default penalty and interest
- For example
- $50 base fine + $300 default penalty + $32 interest → you pay $50
Paying a default under the program waives your right to reopen it. Read the warning below first.
Have DOB or FDNY violations that need correcting? See our corrections help
Same building, different answers
Which judgments are eligible?
One property can return a mix. Where each kind of judgment lands, as the City describes the program.
- Eligible
Missed the hearing; judgment entered on or before July 15, 2026
Base fine only. The default penalty and interest are waived.
- Eligible
Found in violation after a hearing; judgment entered on or before July 15, 2026
75% of the fine. Interest is waived.
- Eligible
Partly paid before the program opened
The remaining balance may qualify. Earlier payments are not refunded.
- Correction first
DOB or FDNY judgment where the condition has to be fixed
Eligible once the agency approves the fix and Finance is notified. The City blocks payment until then.
- Settlement Program
Missed the hearing; judgment entered after July 15, 2026
Outside the amnesty. The City’s standing Settlement Program may apply instead.
- Not eligible
Found in violation after a hearing; judgment entered after July 15, 2026
Owed in full.
- Not eligible
Citizen-complaint summons, such as idling or noise
Excluded by the Department of Finance.
- Not eligible
Signed agreement with a collection firm, or a Sheriff or Marshal execution
Excluded. A referral to a collection firm by itself is not an exclusion.
- Not eligible
HPD violations and charges
Not OATH judgments. Outside the program.
- Not eligible
Already paid in full
No refund of amounts paid before the program.
Eligibility is decided judgment by judgment, and the cutoff is when the judgment was entered in court, not when the violation was written. Search your violations on NYCScope.com, or send us the address and we check each one.
How it works
What are the three steps before January 10, 2027?
The discount only applies to what is paid, and approved where a correction is required, before the program ends.
What should I send you?
Send us summons numbers, judgment notices, or the property address. We look up every OATH judgment on record, not just the one in your mail.
What will you check?
Which judgments the City lists as eligible, which need a correction approved first, and which fall outside the program.
Should I pay or try to reopen a default?
Pay the reduced amount on the ones that make sense. Where a default may be worth reopening, we talk it through before anything is paid.
Can I use a payment plan?
Each judgment you choose is paid in full, in a single payment. No partial payments, no payment plans. You pick which ones.
Check before you pay
Does my violation qualify?
The cutoff is the date the judgment was docketed in court, not the hearing date.
Which court-entry date qualifies?
Unpaid OATH violation judgments from City agencies: DOB, FDNY, DSNY, DOT, DEP, Landmarks, and Health. The court docketing date counts, not the hearing date.
What if my DOB or FDNY violation needs a correction?
The issuing agency must approve the correction, and the Department of Finance must receive the confirmation, before the program ends.
Partly paid already?
The remaining balance may qualify. A judgment already paid in full is not refunded or discounted.
What is not covered?
- Citizen-complaint summonses, such as idling or noise
- HPD violations and HPD charges
- Judgments converted to a tax lien
- Judgments with a Sheriff or City Marshal execution
- Judgments in a signed agreement with City collection counsel
With a collection law firm? That alone does not exclude the judgment. Search it on NYCScope.com, our violation lookup, before paying the firm’s full demand.
Should I pay a default before speaking with an attorney?
Paying a defaulted judgment under the program is an admission of liability. It waives your right to vacate the default or challenge the amount, including a claim that you never got notice of the hearing. If the default may be worth reopening, talk to us first.
Call 347-392-6356
Founding Partner
Partner
You work directly with the attorney on your case.
Why owners and businesses call us
Who will help with my violations?
Do you handle these violations?
We handle OATH summonses and judgments for NYC property owners and businesses, across all five boroughs.
How do you plan around the deadline?
Corrections need agency approval before the deadline, so we start there. We respond the same day during business hours.
What help can you provide?
From the eligibility check to the Certificate of Correction and the payment decision, we take the steps each judgment needs.
Straight answers
What else should I know about the amnesty?
Who qualifies for the 2026 OATH amnesty?
Dates, both discount tiers, every exclusion, agency-by-agency corrections, payment rules, and when not to pay.
Read the amnesty guideDOB & FDNY correctionsDoes my violation need a correction first?
If a correction is required, the agency must approve it and Finance must receive confirmation by January 10, 2027.
Review correction requirementsHow can I find out what I could save?
Send us your address or summons numbers before January 10, 2027, when the City’s Debt Demolisher amnesty ends. An attorney sorts every judgment for you.
592 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY, serving all five boroughs.Same-day response during business hours.
Program terms are set by the NYC Department of Finance and summarized here as published on nyc.gov on October 15, 2026. Agency approval of a correction, and its timing, is not guaranteed. Contacting Nacmias Law Firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.