LEVEL 2 · STANDARD AUDIT · SAMPLE
125 Sample Avenue
125 Sample Avenue, New York, NY 10001
Executive Summary
This is a forensic governance audit of 125 Sample Avenue, a 156-unit, 14-story condominium built in 1962 (148,200 gross sq ft). It compiles the public-record data points this report covers — HPD violations, DOB and DOB NOW SAFETY filings, ECB/OATH enforcement, FDNY dispatch activity, DOF sales and water-billing records, and every derived cross-dataset signal the generator can compute — into one continuous document. Where the audit carries a modeled or estimated value (reserve-fund adequacy, common-charge approximation, LL11-cycle cost benchmarks), it is explicitly labeled with its methodology.
Headline findings
- Managing agent's portfolio averages 1.8x the citywide HPD-violations median.
- 4 Class C (immediately hazardous) violations — 2 still open.
- $38,200 in ECB/OATH fines imposed; $12,400 still owed.
- LL11 Cycle 8 filed late; $4,400 penalty assessed.
- 421-a abatement expired 2022 — carrying costs reverted to full Class 2 rate.
- Sidewalk shed continuously in place for 4 years (2021-2025).
Risk Dashboard
At-a-glance severity score (0-100) per governance dimension.
1. Building Identity
1.1 HPD Registration Details
| Borough / neighborhood | Manhattan / Sample Heights |
| ZIP | 10001 |
| Year built | 1962 |
| Units | 156 |
| Floors | 14 |
| Gross sq ft | 148,200 |
| Building class | R6 — Residential Condominium |
| Owner of record | Bd of Mgrs of 125 Sample Avenue Condominium |
| Sponsor LLC | 125 Sample Holdings LLC |
| Managing agent | Acme Property Management, Inc. (since 2019) |
1.2 Civic Context & Common-Charge Estimate
Located in Sample Heights, Manhattan. Estimated typical common-charge band for this building class and unit count: $800-$1,400/month (modeled from DOF assessed value and operating-cost benchmarks).
Sources: PLUTO, HPD Building Registration, ACRIS.
2. How This Building Compares to a Well-Run One
| Dimension | Well-run target | This building |
|---|---|---|
| HPD violations (all classes) | 0-5 total | 74 (4 Class C) |
| HPD violation correction time | <30 days median | 47 days median |
| ECB / OATH fines imposed | $0 | $38,200 |
| Emergency Repair orders | 0 | 1 ($8,100) |
| Litigation (total cases) | 0-1 | 7 (1 open) |
| Facade status (FISP) | SAFE, on-time | SWARMP, cycle 8 late |
| LL84 ENERGY STAR score | ≥75 | 62 |
| LL97 projected penalty | $0 | $11,400/yr est. (2030+) |
| 311 complaints (5y) | <20 | 142 |
| Public Advocate Watchlist | Not listed | Not listed |
3. Why This Building Received Its Grade
- HPD violation density > 0.40 per unit (0.47 actual) — base grade capped at C+.
- 4 Class C violations with 2 still open — dropped one letter.
- ECB/OATH balance > $10,000 unpaid — dropped one letter.
- 421-a expiration without TCB disclosure in offering plan for 14 years — context flag.
Grades run A+ through F on a sub-tier system. Base grade is set by HPD violation density, then adjusted downward by triggers (Class C open violations, unpaid ECB fines, emergency repairs, AEP status, Public Advocate Watchlist appearance).
4. Findings by Dimension
4.1 HPD Violations
Last 12 months: 11 new. Open: 6. Median correction time: 47 days. Top category: Plumbing / leaks (HEAT/HOT WATER, WATER LEAK).
4.2 ECB / OATH Penalties
| Total ECB/OATH violations | 18 |
| Fines imposed | $38,200 |
| Fines paid | $25,800 |
| Balance owed | $12,400 |
| Default rate (no appearance) | 22% |
| Top violation | Failure to certify facade (DOB) |
4.3 Emergency Interventions
| Emergency Repair Program (ERP) orders | 1 ($8,100 billed to owner) |
| Vacate orders | 0 |
| Evictions | 0 |
4.4 Litigation Index
| Total cases | 7 |
| As plaintiff | 5 |
| As defendant | 2 |
| Open | 1 |
Most recent: Sample Unit Owner v. Bd of Mgrs (Index 654xxx/2024) — special assessment dispute, pending
4.5 Construction & Certificate of Occupancy
Post-occupancy filings: 31. C-of-O: Temporary C-of-O issued 2009; permanent C-of-O 2011.
4.6 Facade Inspection (LL11 / FISP)
| Current cycle | 9 (2020-2025) |
| Filing status | SWARMP filed |
| Last filing | 2023-08-14 |
| Engineer of record | Sample & Associates Engineering, PC |
| Penalties to date | $4,400 |
| Cycle | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 2015 | SAFE |
| 8 | 2020 | SWARMP (late filing) |
| 9 | 2023 | SWARMP (in progress) |
4.7 Energy & Emissions (LL84 / LL87 / LL97)
LL84 (2024): ENERGY STAR 62/100, EUI 118.4 kBtu/sq ft. LL33 grade: C.
LL87: Last EER 2022. Filed (next due 2032). EER recommended boiler optimization + LED retrofit; partial implementation 2023.
LL97: $0 in 2024 compliance period; estimated $11,400/year starting 2030 if no upgrades.
4.8 Building Conditions
| DOHMH rodent inspections | 2 |
| HPD bedbug filings | 1 |
| Registered elevators | 3 |
| Cooling towers | 0 |
| Registered boilers | 2 |
4.9 Tax & Financial
| Assessed value | $42,800,000 |
| Abatement program | 421-a (15-year) |
| Abatement status | EXPIRED (expired 2022) |
| 2025 tax bill (full) | $4,180,000 |
Recent unit sales:
| Date | Unit | Sale price |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-18 | 8-D | $1,210,000 |
| 2024-06-03 | 3-A | $485,000 |
| 2023-08-22 | 12-C | $1,485,000 |
Rent stabilization: No DHCR-tracked stabilized units on record.
4.12 311 Resident Complaints
| Top complaint types | Count |
|---|---|
| Heat / hot water | 38 |
| Noise (residential) | 22 |
| Water leak (interior) | 17 |
| All categories, 5 years | 142 |
7. Estimated Extraction
Four-bucket analysis of post-occupancy spending visible in DOB filings and enforcement records. The headline extraction figure is discretionary-opaque + ECB fines + HPD ERP — the portion that cannot be attributed to a legal mandate or a clear reinvestment.
| Required by law (statutory mandates) | $412,000 |
| Value-add reinvestment | $1,538,000 |
| Discretionary opaque | $155,000 |
| ECB/OATH fines + HPD ERP | $46,300 |
| Headline extraction | $201,300 |
8. Boiler & Elevator Inventory
Boilers
| Device | Type | Age | Last inspection | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLR-001 | Gas-fired HW | 5 years | 2024-10-04 | PASSED |
| BLR-002 | Gas-fired HW (backup) | 18 years | 2024-10-04 | PASSED |
Elevators
| Device | Type | Age | Last inspection | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELV-A | Passenger | 12 years | 2024-11-12 | PASSED w/ 3 minor deficiencies |
| ELV-B | Passenger | 12 years | 2024-11-12 | PASSED |
| ELV-C | Freight | 14 years | 2024-09-30 | PASSED |
9. Public Advocate Worst Landlord Watchlist
This building does not match any of the 100 landlords on the current NYC Public Advocate Worst Landlord Watchlist. Snapshot date: 2025-11-15.
10. DEP Water Consumption
No DEP water-consumption record at this BBL. Coverage is NYCHA-heavy; most private condos show no record.
11. FDNY Incident Patterns (Zip-Level)
FDNY dispatch data has no BBL field. The figures below are zip-code 10001 aggregate over 5 years — neighborhood context, not building-specific.
| Structural fires | 47 |
| Non-structural fires | 312 |
| Medical emergencies | 1214 |
| Non-medical emergencies | 269 |
| Total (5y) | 1,842 |
12. Derived Signals
Cross-dataset assertions that no single dataset shows alone.
- Facade engineer retained for 3 consecutive FISP cycles — see LL11 narrative for engineer-contractor referral pattern.
- Managing agent's portfolio HPD-violations median is 1.8x citywide — above-median risk concentration.
- 421-a expired 2022 but AG REFB amendment disclosing phase-out was filed 2022 — 14-year disclosure gap.
- 4 of 31 DOB job filings classified as discretionary-opaque (extraction candidates).
13. Data-Source Coverage Ledger
Every source checked for this building. Absence is a finding, not an omission.
| Source | Status | Records |
|---|---|---|
| HPD Violations | Present | 74 |
| HPD Registration | Present | 1 |
| HPD Complaints | Present | 89 |
| HPD Litigations | Present | 3 |
| HPD Emergency Repairs | Present | 1 |
| HPD Bedbug Filings | Present | 1 |
| DOB Complaints | Present | 21 |
| DOB Jobs (legacy + NOW) | Present | 31 |
| DOB FISP / LL11 | Present | 3 |
| DOB NOW Boiler | Present | 2 |
| DOB NOW Elevator | Present | 3 |
| ECB / OATH | Present | 18 |
| LL84 Benchmarking | Present | 1 |
| DOF Sales | Present | 3 |
| DOF Exemptions | Present | — |
| DHCR Rent Stabilization | None found | — |
| DEP Water Consumption | None found | — |
| 311 Service Requests | Present | 142 |
| FDNY Dispatch (zip-level) | Present | 1842 |
| FDNY Risk-Based Inspections | None found | — |
| NYC Public Advocate Watchlist | None found | — |
| DOHMH Rodent Inspections | Present | 2 |
| DOHMH Cooling Tower Registry | None found | — |
| PLUTO | Present | 1 |
| ACRIS Master Filings | Present | 14 |
15. The Facade Inspection Scheme
Local Law 11 / FISP requires every building over six stories to commission an exterior wall inspection every five years. The result is a $40,000-per-cycle recurring cost that flows through a closed ecosystem of QEWI engineers and their preferred restoration contractors. This section explains how the program operates in practice and why the cost structure deserves scrutiny.
This section is building-agnostic analytical narrative.
16. Legislative Gaps
New York requires licensure for barbers, nail technicians, and real estate agents — but not for the person managing a $200M residential building. This section catalogs the regulatory gaps that enable the patterns surfaced in this report: no managing-agent licensure, no mandatory reserve-fund study, no financial disclosure to unit owners, no post-sponsor Martin Act coverage.
This section is building-agnostic analytical narrative. See issues index.
17. What You Can Do
Depending on your role — unit owner, prospective buyer, board member, journalist, or regulator — this section outlines specific next steps, from filing an AG complaint to requesting board financial records under the proprietary lease or declaration.
This section is building-agnostic. See tools & generators.
18. Primary Sources
Every section in this report is derived from one or more of the following public datasets and government registries. No private datasets. No paid subscriptions. Full dataset inventory and joining keys at the methodology page.
- NYC HPD — Violations, Complaints, Registration, Emergency Repairs, Litigations, Bedbug Filings
- NYC DOB — Complaints, Jobs/Permits (legacy + NOW), Certificate of Occupancy
- NYC DOB NOW SAFETY — Facade/FISP, Boiler, Elevator
- NYC DCAS — ECB / OATH Hearings Division Case Status
- NYC DOF — Property Valuation, Sales, Exemptions, Tax Lien Sale Lists
- NYC DEP — Water Consumption
- NYC LL84 — Energy & Water Benchmarking Disclosure
- NYC FDNY — Fire Incident Dispatch Data, Risk Based Inspections
- NYC Public Advocate — Worst Landlord Watchlist
- NYC 311 — Service Requests
- NYC DOHMH — Rodent Inspections, Cooling Tower Registry
- NYC DHCR — Rent Stabilization (Channel-1 + Channel-2)
- NYC DCP — PLUTO (Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output)
- NYC ACRIS — Deeds, Mortgages, Declaration, By-Laws
19. Legal Disclaimers
19.1 Not Legal Advice. This report is informational only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.
19.2 Source Data Limitations. Government datasets have inherent lag, gaps, and reporting inconsistencies.
19.3 Methodology & Source Verification. Report methodology is available for inspection under NDA.
19.4 Matter of Public Concern. Protected under NY Civil Rights Law §§70-a, 76-a (anti-SLAPP).
19.5 Fair Report Privilege. NY Civil Rights Law §74.
19.6 Non-Affiliation. TASFGA Independence Policy applies.
19.7 Named Individuals. Names appear only in public roles; redaction request path available.
19.8 Versioning. Reports are point-in-time snapshots; future refreshes may update findings.
19.9 Warranties. Report is provided AS-IS with no warranties of any kind.