The New York City Department of Buildings issued a Class 1 violation against Garden Program LLC on September 16 for continuing construction at 2265 65th Street in Brooklyn after a stop-work order had already been posted on the property, according to DOB ECB violation records.

The violation, number 39204305Z, states that an inspector observed the work was "100% completed" with Stop Work Order #3960184 still posted at the site — meaning the order was ignored from issuance through the end of the job, per DOB records. DOB cited the contractor under section 28-207.2.2, which covers unlawfully continuing work while on notice of a stop-work order.

The department imposed a $10,000 penalty, the maximum for the infraction code applied, with the full balance still outstanding, according to the filing. The violation is rated Class 1 — DOB's most serious tier for ECB violations, reserved for conditions the agency considers an immediate hazard to health or safety. A hearing is scheduled for November 25, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., and the case remains pending; no finding of a violation has been made and Garden Program LLC has not yet had the opportunity to respond at hearing.

Stop-work orders are DOB's most direct tool for halting construction it considers unsafe, unpermitted, or in violation of an approved plan — and they don't get lifted until the underlying issue is resolved and the department signs off. A contractor who works through one is gambling that the fine will cost less than the delay of complying, and DOB's $10,000 tier on this infraction code is built to make that bet expensive.

For contractors and supers on other jobs: a posted stop-work order is not a suggestion, and DOB inspectors can and do return to check compliance — as this case shows, they'll document a job that was fully completed anyway. Any contractor who receives an SWO should confirm the specific conditions required to lift it before doing anything further at the site; the ECB hearing on November 25 will determine whether the $10,000 penalty stands.

Records for BIN 3172258, block 6553, lot 52, are available through the DOB's ECB violation lookup on the NYC Department of Buildings website.