The New York City Sheriff has been staying busy lately on the Lower East Side. We hear from the office of State Sen. Daniel Squadron that authorities seized a bus owned by Yep Tours last night. The bus was returned after the firm paid more than $4,000 in fines associated with illegal operations in the area around Pike Street and East Broadway.
On Jan. 11, the sheriff conducted a similar enforcement action, collecting $15,000 from Yep Tours. The company has been operating for many months without a New York City permit, a violation of state law. It had avoided paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. But a task force convened by Squadron has been working to step up enforcement. Squadron has praised the sheriff’s department as well as the 5th and 7th precincts for making the issue a high priority.
In both cases (last night and on Jan,11), the sheriff was armed with a court order. Civil court documents dated Jan. 26 show that the city’s Department of Finance was authorized to collect payment from Yep Tours through the seizure of “personal property.”
Yep Tours applied for a permit at 2 Pike St. this past fall. The Department of Transportation has told us the application is still under review.
@NYCSHERIFF conducts enforcement operations pursuant to writ of execution for $4,000 in Intercity Traffic Violations @NYPD5Pct & @NYPD7Pct pic.twitter.com/yWCiX8P3JY
— NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) January 27, 2017
