NYC owners owe $899 million in unpaid DOB penalties
As of Oct 13, 2026· refreshed daily from the city's official hearing records
Right now, New York City's hearing records show $898,710,000 in adjudicated, still-unpaid penalties on Department of Buildings summonses — spread across 166,561 open cases.
These aren't abstract fines. An unpaid OATH judgment accrues against the property, blocks permits, surfaces in every title search, and can become a lien. Most of this balance belongs to small and mid-size owners who missed a hearing date or never saw the summons.
| Borough | Outstanding | Open summonses |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | $321,000,820 | 62,017 |
| Queens | $224,884,962 | 38,952 |
| Bronx | $190,138,595 | 31,873 |
| Manhattan | $130,411,629 | 28,101 |
| Staten Island | $32,273,994 | 5,618 |
If part of this balance is yours, it's usually fixable: recent defaults can be reopened within 75 days, decisions can be appealed within 30, and paying the right way is its own small maze — here's how.
Is your building in these numbers?
Look up any NYC address — open violations, penalties, and deadlines. Free, no signup.