www.nyccs.org

New York, NY - Today marks the start of the NYCCS™ NYC CLEAN & SAFE CHIMNEY INTUITIVE. This is a citywide initiative allows New York City property owners the opportunity to maintain their fireplaces and heating chimney's in a cost effective way accordance with the NYC Building Codes.

Factors including change of fuels, neglect in maintenance, weather and shifting ground can cause chimney's to weaken, deteriorate, or lean over time, and it is important that owners are diligent in making sure these structures are safe and code compliant in order to prevent potential accidents.

NYCCS™ will notify owners of the inspection findings and whether or not the conditions observed pose an immediate safety hazard or warrant repairs. If immediate safety hazards are found, the NYCCS™ will withhold the issuance of failure certificates, giving owners the opportunity to perform maintenance and or make corrective repairs.

Case Study

NYS Supreme Court For “Not Maintaining A Chimney” Person died in result of a house fire caused and created by the negligence of the homes chimney, in-turn the home owner was sued in supreme court case Rose vs Mark. The Home Owner, carelessly, negligently and reck- lessly failed to service - maintain the chimney violating State Fire Laws and Residential Codes this negligence caused malfunction and set fire to the home resulting in the wrongful death of a person.

13. The negligence of the defendant consisted in negligently, carelessness, maintaining, and controlling, and operating of the aforesaid premises so as to create and maintain and cause a highly dangerous condition to exist: in failing and violating the fire laws and residential codes of New York State including but not limited to, R1001.1, R1001.2, R1001.3, Ri001.4, R1001.5, R1001.6, R1001.7, R1001.8, R1001.9, R1001.10, R1001.11, R10012, as well as, § M1801 and in further violation of $205-A of the General Municipal Law.

NYCCS™ founder Marcel Newberg says, “From both a safety and a monetary standpoint, owners are well advised to take advantage of this unique program,” And said NYCCS™ founder Marcel Newberg. “Too many preventable hazards sometimes resulting in deaths from the neglect of chimney's, fireplaces, and conducting repairs following an known hazard is far more costly than maintaining them properly in the first place.”

New York City DOB Article 301: Maintenance of Buildings

§28-301.1 Owner’s responsibilities. All buildings and all parts thereof and all other structures shall be maintained in a safe condition. All service equipment, means of egress, materials, devices, and safeguards that are required in a building by the provisions of this code, the 1968 building code or other applicable laws or rules, or that were required by law when the building was erected, altered, or repaired, shall be maintained in good working condition. Whenever persons engaged in building operations have reason to believe in the course of such operations that any building or other structure is dangerous or unsafe, such person shall forthwith report such belief in writing to the department. The owner shall be responsible at all times to maintain the building and its facilities and all other structures regulated by this code in a safe and code-compliant manner and shall comply with the inspection and maintenance requirements of this chapter.