[Amended 8-30-1983 by L.L. No. 5-1983]
A. It shall be unlawful to use or permit the use of any
building or premises or part thereof hereafter created, erected, changed
or converted wholly or partly in its use of structure until a certificate
of occupancy shall have been issued by the Building Official to the
effect that the building or premises or part thereof so created, erected,
changed or converted and the proposed use thereof conforms to the
provisions of this chapter.
B. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued by the
Building Official unless and until the owner has submitted a plot
plan and a set of building plans consisting of floor elevations and
floor plans and such other information necessary to enable him to
ascertain whether the building, as built, complies with the provisions
of this chapter, the State Building Construction Code and substantially
complies with the plans submitted by the owner in connection with
his application for a building permit. Said plans shall be accompanied
by a statement by a duly licensed architect or engineer or an affidavit
sworn to by the owner of the property stating the plans accurately
describe the completed premises for which a certificate of occupancy
is sought. In the case of such buildings or premises, it shall be
the duty of the Building Official to issue a certificate of occupancy
within a reasonable time after a request for the same and all required
documents shall have been filed in his office by any owner of a building
or premises affected by this chapter, provided that said building
or premises or the part thereof so created, erected, changed or converted
and the proposed use thereof conform to all the requirements herein
set forth.
C. A temporary certificate of occupancy for a part of
a building may be issued by the Building Official.
D. Upon written request from the owner, the Building
Official may issue a certificate of occupancy for any building or
premises existing at the effective date of this chapter, certifying
after inspection the use of this building or premises and whether
such use conforms to the provisions of this chapter.
E. No certificate of occupancy, either temporary or permanent,
shall be issued for any building unless such building is connected
to a sewage and waste disposal system that complies with all federal,
state and local requirements. Whenever approval of such sewage and
waste disposal system is required by law, no certificate of occupancy,
either temporary or permanent, shall be issued until final written
approval for such system is granted by the agency charged with reviewing
and inspecting such systems.
[Added 5-22-1984 by L.L. No. 3-1984]
F. The Commissioner of Buildings may revoke, suspend
or deny a request for a certificate of occupancy where he finds that
trees have been removed without a tree removal permit having been
obtained.
[Added 8-21-1990 by L.L. No. 10-1990]
[Added 3-25-1986 by L.L. No. 3-1986]
A. Upon a written request from the owner, the Commissioner
of Buildings may issue a certificate of existing use for any building
or premises existing at the effective date of this section, certifying,
after inspection, the use of this building or premises and whether
such use conforms to the provisions of the Town of North Hempstead
Building and Zoning Ordinance in effect at the time of construction.
B. An applicant for a certificate of existing use shall
be required to furnish the Commissioner of Buildings with a plan,
a final survey and such other information as said official may require
to ascertain whether the building, alteration or use complies with
the provisions of this section.
C. The fee as required in §
70-221H must accompany the request for a certificate of existing use.
D. A certificate of existing use is limited to the following
conditions:
[Amended 3-1-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
(1) A building or premises constructed and/or altered
prior to this local law which complies with the zoning restrictions
as currently in effect.
(2) A building or premises constructed and/or altered prior to existing zoning ordinances which does not comply with the zoning restrictions as currently in effect. The Commissioner of Buildings shall issue this certificate stating that the building or premises is a nonconforming use and all future construction and/or alteration will be regulated by §
70-208. Any application for a certificate of existing use pursuant to this section which would authorize a use of a building or premises not permitted by zoning restrictions in effect at the time of such application must comply with the procedures set forth in §
70-223E.
E. Procedure for nonpermitted uses.
[Added 3-1-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
(1) Before an application for the issuance of a certificate
of existing use which would authorize a use of a building or premises
not permitted by zoning restrictions in effect at the time of such
application may be considered by the Commissioner of Buildings, a
complete and accurate list of names and addresses of the owners of
all the lands within a radius of 200 feet of the property affected
by such application as appears on the latest complete assessment roll
of the County of Nassau shall be submitted simultaneously with the
application. The applicant shall send, by registered or certified
mail, to each owner shown on said list, not less than 10 nor more
than 20 days before the date on which the application is to be submitted,
a notice addressed to such owners generally signed by the applicant,
identifying the property affected by the application, setting forth
the use requested and advising that any objections must be filed with
the Commissioner of Buildings within 10 days of the date on which
the application is to be submitted. Before the Commissioner of Buildings
may consider the application, the applicant must submit to the Commissioner
an affidavit of the mailing of such notices as herein provided, said
affidavit to be made on forms provided by the Commissioner of Buildings.
(2) The Commissioner of Buildings shall not act upon any such application within 10 days of its filing. Following such ten-day period, the Commissioner shall consider the application and any objections filed and shall grant the application only if the applicant shall establish his entitlement to the certificate under §
70-223D by a preponderance of the evidence. The Commissioner shall be entitled to request and consider additional evidence before making a determination.
[Added 6-3-2003 by L.L. No. 7-2003]
A. Upon acquiring information that a residential building
may be occupied in violation of the certificate of occupancy or certificate
of existing use issued therefor, the Commissioner of Building and
Safety Inspection and Enforcement shall cause an investigation of
the premises to be made and an inspection report to be prepared containing
the following:
(1)
A description of the premises.
(2)
A statement of the particulars, if any, in which
the residence is being used in violation of the certificate of occupancy
or certificate of existing use.
(3)
A description of how such illegal occupancy
is creating a hazard to public health and/or safety.
B. Said report shall be filed in the office of the Department
of Building and Safety Inspection and Enforcement.
C. If the investigation performed pursuant to Subsection
A above confirms that there is violation of the certificate of occupancy or certificate of existing use, the Commissioner of Building and Safety Inspection and Enforcement may cause a written notice to be prepared, which shall contain the following:
(1)
A description of the premises.
(2)
A statement of the particulars in which the
building is being occupied in violation of the certificate of occupancy
or certificate of existing use.
(3)
An order directing that the occupancy of the
building be brought into conformity with the certificate of occupancy
or certificate of existing use.
(4)
An order directing that legal action be commenced
by the service of a summary proceeding petition to remove all illegal
occupants of the premises within 10 days of the date of personal service
or within 15 days of mailing of the written notice and that proof
of same be filed with the Commissioner of Building and Safety Inspection
and Enforcement not later than five days after the date of such commencement.
(5)
The date, time and place of a hearing before
the Town Board relative to the subject residence being illegally occupied,
which hearing shall be scheduled not less than 30 days from the date
of personal service or mailing of the written notice.
(6)
A statement that in the event legal action to
remove all illegal occupants is not commenced within the required
period, the Town Board is empowered and authorized to direct the Commissioner
of Building and Safety Inspection and Enforcement to revoke the certificate
of occupancy or certificate of existing use and that, if the Town
Board takes such action, it will seek a court order removing all persons
from occupancy of the residence. In such event, all expenses thereof
shall be assessed against the land on which the building is located
and the Town shall institute legal action to recover the costs of
removing said occupants as well as legal fees and expenses.
D. The aforementioned written notice shall be served
on the owner of record or the owner's executor, legal representative,
agent, lessee, or any other person having a vested or contingent interest
in the subject property, either personally or by certified mail addressed
to the intended recipient's last known address as shown by the records
of the Town's Receiver of Taxes or the records in the office of the
Nassau County Clerk. In addition, a copy of said notice shall be securely
posted on the subject building in a conspicuous location.
E. In the event that the whereabouts of the owner of the subject property and any other person having an interest therein, as defined in Subsection
D above, are unknown and cannot be ascertained after the exercise of reasonable diligence by the Commissioner of Building and Safety Inspection and Enforcement, the Commissioner of Building and Safety Inspection and Enforcement shall execute an affidavit to that effect, which shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk. In such a case, service shall be deemed to have been accomplished by the posting required in Subsection
D above.
F. In the event that the owner of the illegally occupied
residential building fails or refuses to comply with the order to
bring the building into conformity with the certificate of occupancy
or certificate of existing use, The Town Board may, after a public
hearing, direct the Commissioner of Building and Safety Inspection
and Enforcement to revoke the certificate of occupancy or certificate
of existing use for said premises and further direct that legal action
be commenced to remove all persons occupying said premises therefrom.