Where to look
If you know the property but not the summons number, start with a single search across every agency. If you already have the summons number, go straight to the City's own finder.
| Tool | What it covers | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| NYC Scope | OATH/ECB summonses, DOB violations, HPD complaints and property records, in one search | You have an address and need the full picture |
| ECB Ticket Finder | OATH/ECB summonses and hearing status | You have a summons or violation number |
| DOB NOW Public Portal | DOB violations, permits, filings | Construction and permit history |
| HPD Online | Housing maintenance code violations and complaints | Residential rental buildings |
| ACRIS | Deeds, mortgages, liens recorded against the property | Confirming what is attached to title |
NYC Scope was built by this firm because checking five agency databases one at a time is how deadlines get missed. It is free to search, and it can send alerts when something new lands on a property you track.
What you are actually looking at
A summons record will show you the respondent, the cited code section, the hearing date, and the current status. Two fields decide what happens next.
The hearing date. OATH hearings are typically scheduled 30 to 60 days out from service. That date is not a suggestion — missing it is what converts a summons into a default.
The violation class. DOB violations are Class 1 (immediately hazardous), Class 2 (major), or Class 3 (lesser). The class drives the penalty range and how quickly the City expects the condition corrected.
You found it. Now what?
Four situations, and they are not the same problem.
1. The hearing has not happened yet. You have the most options here. Depending on the violation, you may be able to correct the condition and certify the correction, negotiate a stipulation, or appear and contest the summons on the facts. You do not have to appear in person for every OATH matter — many can be handled by written submission or remotely.
2. The hearing already passed and you did not appear. A default decision generally enters, usually with a higher penalty than the violation itself carried. You generally have about 75 days from the default to file a Motion to Vacate, and you typically need to show both a reasonable excuse for missing the hearing and a defense worth hearing. This window closes.
3. The violation is cure-eligible. Some violations can be resolved by fixing the condition and filing a Certificate of Correction rather than litigating. Where the cure option exists, it generally must be submitted within 60 days of the served date. Curing correctly can resolve the penalty; curing late, or filing a Certificate the agency rejects, usually does not.
4. It has already become a judgment. Unpaid ECB penalties become judgments that attach to the property. That is the point at which a violation stops being a paperwork problem and starts being a title problem — it will surface in a sale or a refinance, often at the worst possible moment.
What happens if you do nothing
Penalties do not stay still. A default carries a higher penalty than the underlying summons, judgments accrue, and an unresolved violation can block a Certificate of Occupancy, stall a permit, or hold up a closing. Buyers and lenders run the same searches listed above, and they run them before they fund.
When it is worth a call
If the hearing date has passed, if the violation is Class 1, if there are multiple summonses on the same property, or if you are trying to close or refinance with something open — those are the situations where the sequence matters and the deadlines are short.
If you found your summons and it is straightforward, you may not need anyone. Look it up, note the date, and calendar it.
