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Board reduces penalty for small dry‑rot repair at 172 Maddox Avenue
Summary
A homeowner who made emergency dry‑rot repairs without a permit had a penalty reduced to two times the regular fee after the Board acknowledged homeowners’ difficulty judging permit thresholds.
The Board of Appeals on Feb. 3 reduced a penalty imposed for unpermitted dry‑rot repairs at 172 Maddox Avenue. The owner, Chloe Seibert, described making small repairs around a garage door and a roughly three‑foot area adjacent to it to stop further damage. “I didn’t know that I was supposed to get one,” Seibert told the Board, describing financial strain and a desire only to make the house safe.
Department of Building Inspection staff explained the standard penalty system for work done without a permit and noted limited administrative authority to reduce penalties. Board members said homeowners often cannot know when routine repairs require permits and voted 4–0 to reduce the fine to two times the regular fee, the maximum the board can authorize administratively in such appeals.
The reduction reflects the Board’s judgment about proportionality and the difficulty of setting a bright‑line rule for small emergency repairs by non‑contractors.
