[Ord. of 12-3-1962, § 300.1]
The Code Enforcement Agency shall be authorized to make surveys in any area of the city to determine the general condition of structures used for human habitation, the extent of deterioration, lack of facilities and maintenance, unsafe and unsanitary conditions, the extent of overcrowding, land use and other relevant factors.
[Ord. of 12-3-1962, § 330.1]
(a) 
The head of the Code Enforcement Agency is authorized to make and adopt such written rules and regulations as may be necessary for the proper enforcement and interpretation of this Chapter and to secure the intent thereof. Such rules and regulations shall not be in conflict with the provisions of this Chapter or any other ordinance of the city, nor shall they have the effect of waiving any provisions of this Chapter or any other ordinance. Such rules and regulations shall have the same force and effect as the provisions of this Chapter, and the penalty for violation thereof shall be the same as the penalty for violation of the provisions of this Chapter.
(b) 
Such rules and regulations shall be submitted to the local legislative body by the head of the Code Enforcement Agency. Failure of the local legislative body to approve, reject or modify such rules and regulations within 30 days after submission shall be deemed to constitute approval thereof. Said rules and regulations, as approved by the local legislative body, shall be on file and available as a matter of public record.
[Ord. of 12-3-1962, § 330.2; Ord. of 12-19-1983, § 37]
No officer, agent or employee of the city shall render himself personally liable for any damage that may accrue to persons or property as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties under this Chapter. Any suit brought against any officer, agent or employee of the city as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties under this Chapter shall be defended by the Corporation Counsel in accordance with Section 18 of the Public Officers Law of the State of New York.
[Ord. of 12-3-1962, § 330.3; Ord. of 8-1-1977, § 1; Ord. of 8-15-1996, §§ 1 and 2]
Any person, business, partnership or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this Chapter shall be subject to a fine in City Court or a civil penalty recoverable in accordance with Sections 12-23.1 and 12-23.2 of this Chapter of $3 per day for each separate violation from the date set for correction in the notice of violation, served in accordance with Section 12-34 of this Chapter, until the violation is corrected. Each day for which such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. The imposition of any such fine or penalty shall not be held to prohibit the enforced removal of prohibited conditions by any appropriate remedy, including immediate application for an injunction. The imposition of one penalty for any violation shall not excuse the violation or permit it to continue. All such persons shall be required to correct or remedy such violations.
[Ord. of 8-1-1977, § 1; Ord. of 10-21-1980, § 1]
(a) 
A person who violates any requirement of this code shall be subject to a cumulative civil penalty of $3 per day for each separate violation from the date set for correction in the notice of violation, until the violation is corrected. The penalty may be collected by the Code Enforcement Department by action against the owner or other responsible person, commenced by the Corporation Counsel of the city.
(b) 
The notice of violation shall specify the last date when each violation shall be corrected. The date of correction shall be:
(1) 
Not less than 30 days from the date of mailing of the notice in the case of nonhazardous violations;
(2) 
Fifteen days from the date of mailing of the notice in the case of hazardous violations; and
(3) 
Forthwith in the case of immediately hazardous violations, in which case the notice must be served by personal delivery.
The code enforcement department, by regulation, shall classify all violations in accordance with the designated categories. The department may postpone the last day when a violation shall be corrected upon a showing by the owner or other responsible person that he has begun to correct the violation or that full correction of the violation cannot be completed within the time provided because of technical difficulty, inability to obtain necessary materials or labor or inability to gain access to the dwelling unit wherein the violation occurred.
(c) 
When an owner or other responsible person has corrected one or more violations, he shall promptly but not later than two weeks after such correction, report to the Department, in writing, indicating the date when each violation was corrected. It shall be presumed that the violation was corrected on the date so indicated, unless a subsequent inspection by the Department again reveals the existence of the condition giving rise to the earlier notice of violation. Evidence of the condition shall be deemed sufficient to support a finding that the owner or other responsible person failed to correct the violation, unless he explains the existence of the condition to the satisfaction of the Code Enforcement Department.
(d) 
When there are a number of separate instances of a single condition that violates any requirement of this code, such separate instances of such condition shall be treated collectively as a single violation with respect to any one dwelling unit or with respect to the public parts of the dwelling wherein they occur, but nothing contained in this subsection shall limit the number of violations that may be included in any notice of violation or the number of violations for which a penalty under this section may be collected with respect to each dwelling unit or the public parts of the dwelling.
[Ord. of 8-1-1977, § 1]
(a) 
The Corporation Counsel may bring an action in court for the recovery of civil penalties imposed pursuant to this Chapter, together with costs and disbursements.
(b) 
The defendant in an action for civil penalties may show, in mitigation of his liability:
(1) 
That the violation giving rise to the action was caused by the willful act or gross negligence, neglect or abuse of another pursuant to Subsection (d) hereof; or
(2) 
That he began to correct the violation promptly upon receipt of notice hereof, but that its full correction could not be completed within the time provided because of technical difficulties, inability to obtain necessary materials or labor or inability to gain access to the dwelling unit wherein the violation occurs.
(c) 
If the court finds, upon a showing by the defendant as provided in Subsection (b), that sufficient mitigating circumstances exist, it may remit all or part of the accumulated civil penalties arising from the violation with respect to which such a showing was made.
(d) 
The defendant in an action for civil penalties who has corrected violations giving rise to the action and who asserts that such a violation was caused by the willful act or gross negligence, neglect or abuse of a third party may request the court to permit consolidation of his action for the reasonable cost of such collection against such third party with the action for civil penalties.
(e) 
When the Corporation Counsel obtains a judgment in an action under this Article, in addition to the appropriate methods of enforcement for judgments established in the civil practice law and rules, such judgments for penalties shall constitute a lien and shall be filed with the Commissioner of Finance, within one-year from the entry of the judgment, and the total amount thereof shall be added to and become a part of the next annual assessment roll at the time and in the manner prescribed by the Charter of the city and subject to all the provisions thereof.
[Ord. of 12-3-1962, § 330.4]
The remedies provided for herein shall be cumulative and not exclusive and shall be in addition to any other remedies provided by law; and any and all remedies may be pursued concurrently or consecutively and the pursuit of any remedy shall not be construed as an election or waiver of the right to pursue any and all others.
[Ord. of 12-3-1962, § 330.4]
The Corporation Counsel shall, upon complaint of the head of the Code Enforcement Agency or upon his own motion, institute appropriate action to restrain, prevent, enjoin, abate, correct or remove a violation hereunder and to take such other legal action as is necessary to carry out the terms and provisions of this Chapter.