Frequently Asked Questions

The Town's Lot Cleanup program is an umbrella program that includes service requests relating to overgrown grass, debris, abandoned houses, board-ups or clean ups, lot cleanups and other "quality of life" property complaints. The complaint can involve private, town, or other public agency-owned property. If the complaint involves town property, it will usually be cleaned up within a week of notification. If the complaint involves private property where there is debris or other material left on the curbside, the Town will attempt to contact the property owner to remove it immediately. If not taken care of, the Town will schedule a cleanup by Town staff and bill the property owner for the expenses. The purpose of the program is to educate property owners as to the requirements of specific property responsibilities, not to issue summonses. The first effort is always to obtain code compliance.

All requests are made through the Office of Citizen Services at (631) 957-TOWN (8696). Once a request is received, it is forwarded to Code Enforcement or the Office of Sanitation for investigation. If in violation, a Notice of Violation is placed on the door of the home, or if there is nowhere to leave the notice (such as with vacant property), it is mailed, registered mail, to the owner of the property. The property owner has a period of 5 days to cure the situation. A reinspection will be conducted just beyond the 5 day cure period. If the violation is not corrected, the Town will clean the property and bill the cost of this work to the property owner and if not paid will be transferred to the property’s tax bill. This is a legally binding lien (debt that stays with the property until paid). Suffolk County is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all County properties. Constituents are encouraged to call (631) 853-5941 about neglected county lots.

Town sumps are cleaned internally on a regular basis. Residents are encouraged to call Citizen Services, (631) 957-TOWN (8696), for those sumps that need an immediate cleaning. Winter Brothers, a third party contractor, has been retained to maintain the sump’s surrounding area. Each sump has this contact information located on a plaque posted to the bordering fence. Winter Brothers can be contacted at (516) 937-0900.

As part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality of life for Town residents, the Town is attempting to upgrade, enhance and beautify all Town-owned sumps. This is an ongoing process and resource-dependant. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a schedule of when improvements will be made to a specific sump location. The ultimate goal is to address all Town sumps by selecting them randomly in areas throughout the Town. Improvements include clean-ups, plantings and privacy fence treatments. Sumps owned by the State, County or surrounding villages, are not part of the Town's Sump Beautification Program. Many sumps are owned and maintained by other agencies including the State, County and Villages.

Once a complaint or request is received, it is forwarded to Code Enforcement or the Office of Sanitation for investigation. If there is found to be a violation, a Notice of Violation is placed on the door of the home or mailed, registered mail, to the owner of the property. The property owner has a period of five (5) days to rectify the property violation. A re-inspection will be conducted after this point and if the violation still exists, the Town will either complete it using town workers or arrange to have the work completed. The cost of the work will either be billed to the property owner or transferred to the property owner’s tax bill.

To dispute a Notice of Violation, property owners must contact the Office of Waste Management at (631) 422-7670 or write to the Sanitation Commission at 281 Phelps Lane, Room 19, North Babylon, NY 11703. The Sanitation Commission meets on the first Thursday of each month in the Town Board Room located in Town Hall. All disputes must be received within 60 days of the date of the initial bill. If a request for a hearing is not accomplished in this timeframe, the property owner loses the right to appeal or dispute a violation. The dispute is then scheduled for the next available Sanitation Commission meeting; attendance is mandatory. Hearing adjournments are rarely granted, unless a hardship is demonstrated. The purpose of presenting a dispute at the Sanitation Commission hearing is for the property owner to present their case and the reasons why the bill is in error. A decision will be rendered within 10 days and the owner notified by mail. Property owners have a one-time option of appealing a decision.