Babylon Town hikes some code violation fines 400%

Town of Babylon officials have increased fines for code violations in what they said is an effort to discourage offenders.

Council members raised the mandatory minimum cost for all civil offenses from $100 to $500 last month, except for statutes that have different financial penalties built in.

“Every few years we look into our code and see if our penalties are in line with other municipalities,” town attorney Joe Wilson said in an interview. “Some of them weren’t commensurate with what other towns do or what we feel should be a first or second penalty for a particular violation.”

Town officials focused on more serious violations, such as those under building and environmental laws, Wilson said.

“Obviously if you’re illegally renting out an accessory apartment and getting $2,000 a month and you only have to pay a $100 fine, that doesn’t make a lot of sense and just becomes the cost of doing business,” he added.

The changes involve codes ranging from addressing dredging and stormwater management to historic preservation, noise violations and even dog attacks.

A dog owner with a dog previously deemed dangerous that harms a person or another animal now will face a minimum fine of $500, up from $100, with a maximum fine also increased from $1,000 to $1,500.

Chris Black, president of Concerned Taxpayers of Wheatley Heights/Dix Hills Inc., said in a text he doesn't have a stance on the increases but that “striking a balance between enforcement and fairness is crucial in the pursuit of community well being.”