Horseheads, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 188 (eCode360 ed. 2026) § 188-66
Habitual violators
Operative Text
A. A permittee who fails to correct a violation within the time period given by notice, or an owner who has been required to appear before a court of competent jurisdiction for such failure, three or more times or on three or more separate properties during an eighteen-month period may be deemed an habitual violator if found by the Code Enforcement Officer, court, or Board of Appeals, where applicable, to have failed to correct the violations without good cause. Upon finding that a permittee or owner is an habitual violator, an agent or property manager of such permittee or owner shall be deemed an habitual violator as to all of those properties. B. A finding that an owner is an habitual violator shall be a basis for a court of competent jurisdiction to find probable cause for the issuance of an administrative search warrant for all properties owned or managed by the habitual violator. The fee for this unified inspection will be charged at regular inspection rates as set forth in § 188-22 . The owner may be placed on an accelerated inspection schedule by the court, thereby reducing certification periods, if the result of the unified inspection justifies such action. The fees as set forth in § 188-22 shall be charged for such inspections.
Section 188-66 of the Horseheads Code of Ordinances establishes a designation of 'habitual violator' for property permittees or owners who fail to correct violations without good cause on three or more occasions—or across three or more separate properties—within any eighteen-month window. Once that designation is made by the Code Enforcement Officer, a court, or the Board of Appeals, it can extend to the owner's agents and property managers across all affected properties. A habitual violator finding also opens the door for a court to authorize an administrative search warrant covering all properties the violator owns or manages, and may result in an accelerated inspection schedule with associated fees charged at the rates set out in § 188-22.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to Horseheads Code ch. 188 § 188-66 generally stay off the habitual violator list by correcting cited violations within the timeframes specified in any notice they receive. Compliant operators track violation notices across all properties they own or manage, since the three-strikes threshold under § 188-66 applies portfolio-wide over any rolling eighteen-month period. Owners should also be aware that a habitual violator designation can flow through to their agents and property managers, potentially triggering unified inspections and accelerated certification schedules at their expense.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 188-66 of the Horseheads Code of Ordinances gives tenants an indirect but meaningful protection: if a landlord repeatedly fails to correct violations, the Code Enforcement Officer, a court, or the Board of Appeals can formally designate that landlord a habitual violator. That designation can lead to court-authorized inspections of all properties the landlord owns or manages, as well as an accelerated inspection schedule that keeps those properties under closer ongoing scrutiny. Tenants who believe their landlord may meet the habitual violator threshold under § 188-66 can document uncorrected violations, contact the local Code Enforcement Office, or reach out to a tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
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Rules and statutes that cite this regulation