TIME TO PAY

Trump Tower’s Massive Gilded Clock Installed Without NYC’s Permission: Report

A permit was allegedly never applied for, and the city is now asking for payment.

A 16-foot clock was erected in front of Trump Tower in New York City without permission, and the City of New York is now seeking payment, according to The New York Times. The black and gold clock—which bears the surname of owner Donald Trump on each of its four faces—was reportedly installed on the sidewalk at 725 Fifth Avenue over 12 years ago without a requisite permit. City officials are now attempting to obtain a fee for the clock to be allowed to stand on a public sidewalk, with 10-year permits for similar sidewalk clocks typically costing just $300 per year, according to the Times. The city reportedly failed to question the Trump Organization about the matter until early 2015, but the issue was temporarily dropped when Trump became the Republican presidential nominee in 2016 and got elected. New York City’s Department of Transportation then wrote to the company last month reminding it that the clock and other “structures continue to be encroachments on the public right of way and are subject to enforcement.”