§ 17-139 Injunctions against department; undertakings.

   a.   A preliminary injunction shall be granted against the department or its officers, only by the supreme court at a special term thereof after service of at least five days notice of a motion for such injunction, together with copies of the papers on which the motion for such injunction is to be made.

   b.   Whenever the department shall seek any provisional remedy or prosecute any appeal, it shall be unnecessary to give any undertaking before obtaining or prosecuting the same.

§ 17-140 Officers and judges to act promptly.

It shall be the duty of all prosecuting officers of criminal courts, and judges of the New York city criminal court to act promptly upon all complaints, and in all suits or proceedings for a violation of any health law, and in all proceedings approved or promoted by the department, and to bring the same to a speedy hearing and termination and to render judgment and direct execution therein without delay.

§ 17-141 Service of orders.

   a.   Service of any order of the department or board shall be deemed sufficient if made:

      1.   Upon a principal person interested in the business, property, matter or thing, or the nuisance or abuse to which such order relates; or

      2.   Upon a principal officer charged with a duty in relation thereto; or

      3.   Upon a person, officer or department, or an officer or employee of such a department, who may be most interested in or affected by its execution.

   b.   If such order relate to any building or the drainage, sewerage, cleaning, purification or ventilation thereof, or of any lot or ground on or in which such building stands, used for or intended to be rented as the residence or lodging place of several persons or as a multiple dwelling, service of such order on the agent of any person or persons for the renting or for the collecting of rent thereof, or of the parts thereof to which such order may relate, shall be of the same effect and validity as due service made upon the principal of such agent or upon the owners, lessees, tenants or occupants of such buildings, or parts thereof, or of the subject matter to which such order relates.

§ 17-142 Definition of nuisance.

The word "nuisance", shall be held to embrace public nuisance, as known at common law or in equity jurisprudence; whatever is dangerous to human life or detrimental to health; whatever building or erection, or part or cellar thereof, is overcrowded with occupants, or is not provided with adequate ingress and egress to and from the same or the apartments thereof, or is not sufficiently supported, ventilated, sewered, drained, cleaned or lighted in reference to its intended or actual use; and whatever renders the air or human food or drink, unwholesome. All such nuisances are hereby declared illegal.

§ 17-143 Nuisances; punishment.

A wilful omission or refusal of any individual, corporation or body to forthwith abate any nuisance, as ordered by the department or board, such order having been duly served upon them, shall be a misdemeanor.