OATH Extends Physical Closure and Continues Telephonic Hearings [UPDATED]

Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Image Credit: OATH

OATH to continue virtual operations as COVID pandemic lingers. On April 7, 2020, Chief Administrative Law Judge, Hon Joni Kletter issued an administrative order continuing the temporary suspension and modification of laws related to the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. The order directs that the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings’, the body responsible for adjudicating for all City agencies, remain physically closed until at least May 4, 2020. The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, locally referred to as “OATH,” will accommodate rescheduling requests, and for eligible summonses, provide a telephonic hearing option. To view OATH’s online hearing platform click here.

Summonses with hearing dates between March 15, 2020 and May 4, 2020, and have not received responses, will receive new hearing dates in the mail.  For appeals of OATH decisions, issued on or after February 19, 2020, time to appeal has been temporarily increased to 60 days from the date of the hearing decision or service of the appeal, or 65 days if the decision was mailed.

To schedule your hearing by phone, you can reach OATH at the following email addresses:

• Bronx: RemoteBronx@oath.nyc.gov
• Brooklyn: RemoteBKLYN@oath.nyc.gov
• Manhattan: RemoteManhattan@oath.nyc.gov
• Queens: RemoteLIC@oath.nyc.gov
• Staten Island: RemoteSI@oath.nyc.gov

For New York City-specific COVID-19 updates, the City has established an information site with updates from all major administrative agencies. Agencies include the Department of Buildings, City Planning, Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Finance and the Department of Transportation amongst others. You can find that page here.

*UPDATE* On April 24, 2020, Chief Administrative Law Judge, Hon Joni Kletter issued another executive order extending the closure through May 15, 2020.

By: Jason Rogovich (Jason Rogovich is the CityLaw Fellow and New York Law School Graduate, Class of 2019)