NYC Debt Demolisher Waives Some Interest on Unpaid ECB Fines

What happened

New York City started a program on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 to help people clear old unpaid Environmental Control Board (ECB) judgments. These are fines issued by city agencies, including the buildings, sanitation and transportation departments, and decided at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). The Department of Finance (DOF) runs the program. DOF calls it the ECB Amnesty and Compliance Program. Habitat Magazine, citing The City Reporter, calls it Debt Demolisher. It ends Sunday, January 10, 2027. DOF says Mayor Mamdani and the City Council authorized it.

The two sources describe the savings a little differently. Habitat says the city will waive some interest so people will pay the original fine. DOF says certain fines and interest can be waived, and savings may reach 75% in some cases. DOF says the amount depends on when a violation went into judgment and whether the respondent went to the OATH hearing. To take part, you look up your judgments at nyc.gov/mysummons or visit a DOF business center. You then pay the reduced amount in full.

Some judgments do not qualify. Habitat lists judgments from tickets that came from a citizen complaint, violations turned into tax liens, violations under criminal investigation, and violations covered by an agreement with the sheriff, a city marshal or the corporation counsel. DOF adds that judgments needing corrective action qualify only if the issuing agency approves the correction and DOF gets confirmation by the end date.

Habitat reports that the city hopes to collect up to $25 million that officials say would otherwise go unpaid. In March, DOF announced a review of unpaid fines, with potential debt of $573 million. DOF says another $744 million was judged uncollectible because of death, bankruptcy or business closure. Habitat notes that the city expects a $6 billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year.