There have been changes made in the procedures for submission of information or documentation that was not provided with the application at the time of filing. The New York State Liquor Authority will now require email addresses from applicants and their attorneys or representatives so as to communicate with applicants more efficiently. Deficiency letters will now be sent to applicants by e-mail advising them of the information or documentation needed to complete the review of their applications. All deficiencies must be submitted to the Authority within 10 business days from the date of the letter. Additionally, a new e-mail has been created to receive responses to deficiency responses at the Liquor Authority so they can be separated from new applications and acted on in a timely manner. The deficiency responses will be assigned to an examiner based on workload rather than being processed by the initial reviewing Examiner. This should streamline the processing and decrease time to issuance (or denial).
An examiner will send a reminder email to the applicant five (5) days after the deficiency letter is e-mailed. The examiner may also contact the applicant by telephone to offer assistance in complying with the deficiencies, if needed. The goal is to encourage immediate response to applications so they can move through the review process without delay. The reminder e-mails will also help avoid “lost e-mails” in cyberspace. If you receive a reminder, it will (hopefully) prompt you to inquire about a deficiency notice that was not received five days earlier. It will also allow clients to work effectively with their attorney/representatives and keep them accountable.
It is a welcome new procedure. Just remember that the reminder is automatically sent and should not cause alarm or panic. A deficiency notice is an invitation to supplement your application to avoid a denial. It gives you an idea of the status of the completeness of your file and is a welcome sign that your application is moving along to the next step toward issuance.
Have any questions about a deficiency notice you received? Give us a call. We’d love to help.