New York City has launched a temporary relief program to help New Yorkers eliminate outstanding debt on some city fines, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday.
Between now and Jan. 10, 2027, New Yorkers with outstanding Environmental Control Board, or ECB, judgments will have a chance to resolve their debt at a discount, with waived interest, the mayor’s office said in a release.
The new “Debt Demolisher” program is expected to net $25 million in unpaid fines the city says may have never been collected otherwise.
ECB judgments stem from unpaid violations issued by city agencies like the Department of Transportation, the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Buildings, according to the release.
“Infractions can range from building code violations to failure to properly dispose of a mattress,” the release said.
Eligible New Yorkers who received a default judgment for not attending an Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, or OATH, hearing will still have to pay 100% of their base fine, but their default fine and accrued interest will be waived, according to the city.
Those who were found liable after attending a hearing will only have to pay 75% of the imposed fine, and their accrued interest will be waived.
A handful of ECB judgments will not be eligible for the program, the release noted, including judgments entered in court after July 15 of this year, judgments for violations that have been converted to a tax lien, and judgments for violations that are the subject of a criminal investigation.
New Yorkers can check their eligibility online and participate by filling out a form with their name and address, ticket number or OATH ID number.
“City government shouldn’t saddle New Yorkers with endless fines and interest,” Mamdani said in a statement. “When the city issues a fine, the goal is to incentivize compliance with the rules that keep all of us safe and healthy, not make it impossible to grow your business or repair your home.”
“Building a city every New Yorker can afford means tackling not just the major expenses, but the small fines and fees that make it harder to call the five boroughs home,” he added.