In 2012, the Village of Dobbs Ferry implemented an ordinance which requires the Building Department to inspect & re-certify each residential property prior to it being sold.

This ordinance is commonly referred to as the CCO requirement. The acronym, CCO, stands for the Certificate of Continued Occupancy or the Continuing Certificate of Occupancy.

In the absence of a clear explanation of the CCO procedure on the Village of Dobbs Ferry’s website, below is the actual text of the CCO ordinance and below that is my understanding of the required procedure & the sequence of events. (Again, this is my understanding of the process and it may not be 100% accurate.)

Zoning Ordinance §204-21 for safety, health & welfare of the public.
Click to view the actual code

§204-21 D Adoption of plans for inspection and reinspection.
“All residential properties shall be inspected/reinspected by the Building Department before transfer of ownership or the issuance of a certificate of occupancy at a fee as set from time to time by the Board of Trustees. Such fee shall include the issuance of a new certificate of occupancy for the property.”

Explanation of The CCO, The Procedure & The Timeline

·  ALL residential properties must be re-inspected and receive a CCO before the transfer of ownership

·  It is the responsibility of the property seller to contact the building department to schedule an appointment for a CCO inspection.

·  Inspections are for the purpose of fire, health & life safety concerns. And also to verify that the property conforms to the building department records that are on file for the property.

·  The cost of the CCO is currently $150.

·  If the Building Inspector’s initial inspection reveals some safety concerns or improvements to the property for which there is no documentation in building department records, the Building Inspector will provide the property owner with a “punch list” of items that need to be remedied before the CCO can be issued.

NOTE: Common safety items cited by the building inspector might be inadequate smoke alarms, CO detectors or handrails

Once all of the items on the “punch list” have been addressed, the property owner is required to schedule a second appointment with the Building Inspector to re-visit the property to verify that all of the issues on the punch list have been satisfactorily addressed. (There is no additional paperwork or fee for this 2^nd visit)

IMPORTANT NOTE: However, if the Building Inspector notices undocumented improvements (work performed without a building permit) during the 1^st inspection, a building permit for those undocumented improvements and an additional fee will be required. This additional building permit fee is based on the estimated cost of “the undocumented improvement”.

·  A property owner has a maximum of 180 days from the initial CCO inspection and the follow-up CCO inspection without having to pay an additional fee. In other words, once you start the process, you have 180 days to complete the process.

·  Once the CCO is issued, it is only valid for 90 days.

·  Expired CCO Scenario #1: If a CCO is more than 90 days old but not more than 120 days, a re-inspection (a 3^rd visit) is required and an updated CCO will be issued at half the original fee.

·  Expired CCO Scenario #2: If a CCO is more than 120 days old, a re-inspection and another full fee is required.

That's the CCO explanation in a nutshell.

If you have specific questions or need a CCO application, contact the Dobbs Ferry Building Department at (914) 231-8513 or visit the Dobbs Ferry Building Department web page.