Seven OATH/ECB hearings tied to Department of Buildings violations closed out the same way this week: nobody showed. Per OATH/ECB Hearings (Case Status) records, all seven cases carry a hearing result of DEFAULTED, and all seven show $0 paid against a combined $38,840 in penalties imposed.

The one with teeth: 102 Hancock Street, Staten Island (Block 3343, Lot 13). DOB's charge — unlawfully continuing work while on notice of a stop-work order — carried a $10,000 infraction plus fees, for a $10,030 penalty on ticket 039157889M. The violation details describe a first floor already fitted with walls, finishes, electric and plumbing at the time of inspection. The hearing, rescheduled once, defaulted on August 31.

The rest are the everyday DOB blotter, but they add up. 153-06 Booth Memorial Avenue, Flushing, Queens (ticket 039094776K): work without a permit for a metal-and-glass entrance enclosure, $6,250 defaulted. 2705 Morris Avenue, Bronx (ticket 039155073K): failure to maintain code-compliant brickwork after a reported crack over a fire escape, $6,250. 30 Ann Street, Manhattan (ticket 039154832H): failure to file a certificate of correction on a prior C of O violation, $6,250. 2529 West 3rd Street, Brooklyn (ticket 039155260X): work without a permit for a metal canopy over a driveway, $6,250. 123-24 Inwood Street, Jamaica, Queens (ticket 039153870Y): a second unpermitted structure at the rear of the building, no job filing on record, $1,280. And 282 Williams Avenue, Brooklyn (ticket 039153227P): occupancy contrary to the certificate of occupancy on a vacant lot used for vehicle storage and repair, $2,530.

A default at OATH doesn't mean the underlying charge was contested and lost — it means the respondent didn't appear, and the penalty gets imposed as filed. That's a different administrative posture than a hearing decided on the merits, but the balance owed is real either way, and it grows: DOB records show additional penalties and late fees can stack onto an unpaid default.

Why it matters for contractors and owners: a defaulted OATH case attaches to the property record and the respondent's name, and unpaid balances can surface later — at a title search, a refinance, or a new permit application tied to the same address or principal. The stop-work case at 102 Hancock Street is the sharper warning: continuing work after a posted SWO is its own separate charge on top of whatever triggered the original stop-work order.

For context on volume, not as news in itself: five new DOB complaints were entered into the department's complaint system in the past two days, spanning Powers Street in Brooklyn, Colgate Avenue in the Bronx, Empire Boulevard in Brooklyn, 249th Street in Queens, and Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. A complaint is not a violation and not a finding — it's an intake record, per DOB Complaints Received, and nothing here confirms what any of those five will turn into.

What to do next: anyone with an open matter at these addresses, or a client with a pending default, can look up the ticket number directly on the OATH/ECB e-Trial Room or NYC's Open Data hearings dataset (jz4z-kudi) to check current balance and appeal windows — a default can sometimes still be vacated on a timely motion. For the five fresh complaints, DOB's own complaint-status lookup by BIN will show whether an inspection has been scheduled.