Bureau of Administrative Adjudication (BAA)

The Bureau of Administrative Adjudication is an administrative tribunal authorized to adjudicate violations of the Town Code addressed to the public health, safety and welfare (except for violations of Chapter 87 which sets forth the requirements for building construction). As set forth in Chapter 93 of the Town Code, Town enforcement personnel are empowered to issue Notices of Violation (“NOVs”) which are returnable before Administrative Law Judges (“ALJs”) who have jurisdiction to hear and decide each case and assess civil penalties where the violation charge has been sustained.

Any respondent who appears for a hearing in response to an NOV will have an opportunity to be heard before an ALJ. Where the ALJ finds against the respondent and issues a decision sustaining the violation, the ALJ will assess a monetary penalty within the range of penalties authorized by law as well as a surcharge for administrative costs. If the penalty and surcharge are not paid, a civil judgment in that amount will be docketed against the respondent in the Suffolk County District Court and, in the case of land use violations, the unpaid monetary penalty and surcharge will be added to the tax bill and enforced as a tax lien.