It has been three years since Rockland County took control of the Spring Valley Building Department following a first-of-its-kind state order. The county's Office of Buildings and Codes began on Feb. 14, 2022.

News 12 has once again followed up to see where things are after another year of enforcement. Officials say OBC has done 4,000 inspections and issued 16,000 violations to date since it was created.

A photo taken during an inspection of a home on Roosevelt Avenue last March shows many people in one room, sleeping on two beds. The report says there were about 40 people and 14 bedrooms inside the house. Nineteen violations were issued. Inspectors were requested there by the local police. News 12 is waiting to learn more about where the enforcement stands now.

Another photo shows a room in an attic of a two-family home on Center Street where an inspection found seven violations and up to $12,000 in proposed fines. News 12 is told the home was vacated because of unsafe conditions and remains boarded up.

"Our people have been out there working very hard," said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. "We've recognized the obstacles. We've attacked them. We've gone after them. We have made it a better place to live and we're going to continue to do that until the State says 'ok, back to the way it's supposed to be."

The state will decide when Spring Valley takes back control.

A spokesperson for New York State's Department of State gave News 12 this statement, “Rockland County has been designated to administer and enforce the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and State Energy Conservation Construction Code within the Village of Spring Valley as of February 14, 2022. The Department of State has been working together with Rockland County and the Village of Spring Valley to ensure that the Codes have been administered and enforced in a due and proper manner. As of February 14, 2025, the County has completed all periodic fire safety and property maintenance inspections of buildings required to be inspected annually and buildings required to be triennially. The Department of State has monthly meetings with the Village and County, and we will continue to discuss issues important to the safety of the community.”

The village of Spring Valley Mayor Alan Simon tells News 12 in a statement that, "The village has done everything the state wanted months ago."

The state ordered take over came months after a fire killed that two people at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in March 2021. An incident that raised questions over code enforcement.