Closings glossary

Certificate of Correction

The filing that certifies to a City agency that a cited condition has been corrected. Acceptance by the agency, not the repair itself, is what closes the violation in the record.

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What is a Certificate of Correction?

Quick Answer

A Certificate of Correction is the filing that tells a New York City agency a cited condition has been fixed, supported by the proof that agency accepts. Correcting the condition without filing an accepted certificate generally leaves the violation open in City records, where a search will find it.

The full definition

The filing that certifies to a City agency that a cited condition has been corrected. Acceptance by the agency, not the repair itself, is what closes the violation in the record.

Which related terms should you know?

These are the terms that come up alongside certificate of correction in the same file.

Violation (cited against the premises): An agency record that a condition at a property does not comply with a code or rule. It attaches to the premises and follows the property through a sale.
ECB judgment: The judgment entered on an unpaid or defaulted summons heard at OATH (formerly ECB). It is a collectible City debt tied to the respondent and to the cited premises.
OATH Hearings Division: The City tribunal, OATH (formerly ECB), that adjudicates summonses from most New York City enforcement agencies. Unpaid or defaulted summonses become collectible judgments.
Open permit: A DOB permit filed for work that was never signed off. Closing it usually means a licensed professional filing for inspection or formally withdrawing the job.
Escrow (at closing): Funds or documents held by a neutral party until stated conditions are satisfied. At a New York closing it usually means a holdback from proceeds under a written escrow agreement.

Where does certificate of correction come up in a New York City closing?

A Manhattan owner replaced missing smoke alarms in March but never filed, so the violation still reads open at the June closing and money is escrowed for it.

What else should you read before closing?

Questions this raises

What happens if the title search finds a problem before closing?Schedule B-I requirements are the punch list, not a dead deal. How New York closings clear old liens, missing satisfactions and name hits before th...

Title issues

Open permitAn open DOB permit is work the City still shows as unfinished. It rarely kills a NYC deal outright, but it moves the date and it follows the buyer.

Elsewhere on this site

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Legal Disclaimer: This page is general information about New York practice. It is not legal advice, it does not account for the terms of any particular contract, building or transaction, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. This is attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.