Time Running Out for Free, No-Penalty Retaining Wall Inspections

When a retaining wall collapsed at the Hudson Courts co-op in Yonkers in 2014, dirt, rocks and debris tumbled onto the Metro-North Railroad tracks that abut the property. No one was injured, but, as we’ll report in our September issue, the catastrophe highlighted the need for diligence in inspecting and repairing retaining walls. The aftermath of the collapse also presented the co-op board and its management company with a nightmarish financial challenge. 

There’s no excuse for co-op and condo boards to put off these vital inspections. Until August 31, the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) is offering no-cost, no-penalty inspections of retaining walls, decks, and porches. Following the inspections, DOB will notify boards and homeowners of the inspector’s findings and whether or not conditions impose an immediate safety hazard or warrant repairs. If immediate safety hazards are found, the DOB will withhold the issuance of violations for a limited time, giving homeowners the opportunity to make repairs. 

“From both a safety and a monetary standpoint, homeowners are well advised to take advantage of this unique program,” says Rick Chandler, commissioner of the DOB. “Too many preventable accidents result from the neglect of decks, porches and retaining walls, and conducting repairs following an accident is far more costly than maintaining them properly in the first place.” If you doubt him, ask the co-op board at Hudson Courts. 

Call 311 before August 31 to schedule a free inspection. Since the No-Penalty Deck and Retaining Wall Inspection Program was launched in 2010, the DOB has performed several hundred inspections. By law, building owners are required to maintain their decks, porches, and retaining walls in a safe and code-compliant manner at all times.