It is becoming harder for small businesses to survive, let alone prosper, in New York City's business climate.  One of the reasons for this difficulty is that the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has decided to considerably increase the number of tickets (often ridiculous) that it writes to small shop owners.  The agency sees these merchants as cash cows, unable to defend themselves against out-of-control inspectors and a Byzantine municipal code.  This aggressive push by the DCA has certainly augmented the cities coffers but at the expense of small businesses, many more of which are declaring bankruptcy.  Making matters worse, Consumer Affairs wants to take away the one recourse that merchants do have to contest these fines: the courts.  Though similar proposals have been defeated by the Neighborhood Retail Alliance in the past, the DCA is now trying, though Intro 390 in the City Council, to once again eliminate due process and increase its own power.

Click here for articles on the numerous, and often ridiculous, fines levied on NYC's small businesses as well as the Neighborhood Retail Alliance's fight against allowing the Department of Consumer Affairs to eliminate due process for wronged merchants.

We have listed our press releases dealing with  the issues surrounding the abuse of fines and Intro 390.  View and print these positions papers here.

The Neighborhood Retail Alliance has crafted a number of memoranda dealing with the all the issues surrounding the abuse of fining power and the attempt to grant the DCA additional power (Intro 390).  View and print these positions papers here.