Syracuse, N.Y., Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27 § 27-177
Notice to owners relative to accumulated points
Operative Text
(a) In the event that it shall come to the attention of the director of code enforcement or his/her designee that a business issued a certificate of use pursuant to this article has accumulated as provided by section 27-176 hereof, eight (8) or more points in any six (6) month period or twelve (12) or more points in any eighteen (18) month period, the director of code enforcement or his/her designee shall transmit to the owner or the proprietor, where applicable, by certified mail at the address specified in the application for said certificate of use, a letter advising the owner or the proprietor of the number of points accumulated and warning the owner or the proprietor, where applicable, of the possibility of suspension or revocation of the subject certificate of use upon accumulation of the twelve (12) or more points in a twelve (12) month period or eighteen (18) or more points in a twenty-four (24) month period. (b) The failure of the director of code enforcement or his/her designee to transmit a warning letter pursuant to section 27-177 (a) hereof or the failure of the owner or his/her/their designee, or proprietor, where applicable, to receive a warning letter shall in no event be a defense to suspension or revocation of the certificate of use or criminal or civil penalties or an injunction as provided for in this chapter.
Syracuse Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27, art. 12 § 27-177 establishes a warning-letter system tied to a point-accumulation threshold for businesses holding a certificate of use. When a business reaches eight or more points in six months, or twelve or more points in eighteen months, the director of code enforcement is required to send a certified-mail notice to the owner or proprietor alerting them to the accumulated points and the risk of suspension or revocation. Critically, the provision also states that the failure to send or receive that warning letter does not shield a business from suspension, revocation, civil or criminal penalties, or an injunction.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators holding a certificate of use under this article should be aware that Syracuse Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27, art. 12 § 27-177 requires the director of code enforcement to send a certified-mail warning once certain point thresholds are crossed, but that notice is not a prerequisite for enforcement action. Compliant operators generally track their own point accumulation under § 27-176 rather than waiting for an official warning letter, since non-receipt of that letter is explicitly not a defense. Keeping current contact information on file with the certificate of use application helps ensure any warning letters that are sent actually reach the right party.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
While Syracuse Rev. Gen. Ord. ch. 27, art. 12 § 27-177 primarily governs businesses holding certificates of use rather than individual tenants, residents who believe a landlord's rental business is accumulating code-violation points may have an interest in how this provision operates. The rule makes clear that enforcement—including suspension or revocation of a certificate of use—can proceed regardless of whether the owner received a warning letter, which means tenants cannot be told that enforcement is on hold simply because a notice was not delivered. Tenants with concerns about code violations at their property can contact the Syracuse Department of Code Enforcement directly or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand what options may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 1, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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