ECB / OATH

ECB violations are civil summonses issued by city enforcement agencies — the Department of Buildings prominent among them — for infractions of the construction, zoning, and quality-of-life codes. They are adjudicated by the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), the city's administrative court, which absorbed the former Environmental Control Board tribunal; the historical name survives in the violation type. A respondent can contest the summons at a hearing or admit and pay; adjudicated violations carry penalties, and unpaid penalties become enforceable judgments.

For property records, ECB/OATH items matter twice: the violation itself signals a compliance failure, and the outstanding balance is a monetary encumbrance that diligence should quantify. Open items can also block permits and certificates until resolved.