Reply To: Driveway Blocking In Borough Park

So right and others,

I was wondering how long it would take before the red herring of “illegal driveway” would make its way into this thread.

A driveway, or a curb cut masquerading as a driveway, is not “illegal” until the Department of Buildings says it is. This rumor persists regarding my neighbor and to this day when I stop people who are blocking his driveway, they tell me, “it’s an illegal driveway.” It isn’t. What’s illegal is their conduct.

I repeat a question asked yesterday:

What makes you think you can tell whether or not a driveway is “illegal?”

IF you believe a driveway is illegal, your remedy is to call 311, report it to the Department of Buildings and they will investigate. IF DOB finds that the driveway is illegal, they can either order the sidewalk restored or require a permit to be applied for an issued. If it’s the latter, the driveway will retroactively become legal.

What does it say about a person who sees a car parked in a driveway and then blocks him in because he believes it’s an illegal driveway?

By the way, those of us who have legal driveways (the overwhelming majority of property owners) pay an increase in real estate taxes for the privilege.