N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 5-386: § 5-386 Vesting of title; possession; removal of buildings or improvements.

On filing such oaths, in the manner provided in section 5-384 of this subchapter, the city shall be and become seized in fee of all those parcels of real estate which are on the maps referred to in section 5-379 of this subchapter delineated as parcels, of which it has been determined that the fee should be acquired, and shall also be and become vested of the easements, in, over, upon or through all those other parcels of real estate which are on said maps delineated as parcels in, over, upon or through which it has been determined that easements should be acquired; and may immediately or at any time or times thereafter take possession of the same or any part or parts thereof without any suit or proceeding at law for that purpose; provided, however, that before the city takes possession of the same it shall pay to the respective owner or owners of each of such parcels of real estate, which are upon such maps delineated as parcels of which it has been determined that the fee should be acquired, (a) if located outside the counties of Ulster, Greene, Sullivan, Schoharie and Delaware, a sum of money equal to one-half the assessed valuation of such real property as the same appears upon the assessment roll of the town or tax district in which the same is situate for the year next preceding that in which the city becomes seized in fee of each of such parcels of real estate, and (b) if located in the counties of Ulster, Greene, Sullivan, Schoharie or Delaware, a sum of money equal to fifty per centum of the full valuation of such real estate. In the event that a parcel so delineated on said map as a fee parcel is not separately assessed on the assessment roll of the town or tax district in which the same is situated but is assessed as a part of another tract, then the amount which the city shall be required to pay or deposit under this section shall be (a) if the parcel be located outside the counties of Ulster, Greene, Sullivan, Schoharie and Delaware, the proportion which the assessed valuation of the parcel acquired bears to the assessed valuation of the entire property as a part of which said parcel is assessed, and (b) if the parcel be located in the counties of Ulster, Greene, Sullivan, Schoharie or Delaware, the proportion which the full valuation of the parcel acquired bears to the full valuation of the entire property as a part of which said parcel is assessed. The supreme court in the judicial district in which the land is situated is hereby authorized to make an order prorating such assessed valuation or full valuation, as the case may be, and to determine the proportion of such assessed valuation or full valuation, as the case may be, which the city of New York shall be required to pay before taking possession of such parcel. The city, at its option and by agreement with such respective owner or owners, may, instead of paying to him or her or them the amount or amounts hereinbefore required, pay to him or her or them a sum or sums of money greater than but not more than twice the amount or amounts hereinbefore required. For the purposes of this section only, "full valuation" of real estate shall mean the assessed valuation thereof, as the same appears on the assessment roll of the town or tax district in which the real estate is situate for the year next preceding that in which the city becomes seized in fee thereof, divided by the rate of assessment of real property in such town or tax district for the same year as finally recommended for adoption by the state tax commission under the provisions of the real property tax law formerly contained in sections fifty and one hundred seventy-four of the tax law. Deposit of all moneys hereunder to the credit of, or payable to the order of the owner, pursuant to the direction of the court, shall be deemed a payment within the provisions of this section, and, thereupon, the commissioner of environmental protection, or any person or persons acting under their or its authority may enter upon and use and occupy to the exclusion of any and all other persons all the parcels of real estate delineated on such map for the purpose of carrying out the plan or plans, or any part thereof, described in section 5-377 of this subchapter, provided, however, that no buildings or improvements shall be removed or disturbed within one year from the date of the filing of the oaths of the commissioners unless thirty days' notice in writing is given to the owner, or to his or her attorney, if any, by the corporation counsel of the intention to make such removal, and affording the owner an opportunity to examine the property with the commissioners of appraisal and such witnesses as he or she may desire. If the owner of the property can not be found with due diligence, and there is no attorney representing such property or parcel, before removing, disturbing, or destroying any of the buildings, or the improvements, a representative of the commissioner of environmental protection or of the corporation counsel shall cause measurements to be made of the buildings and photographs of the exterior views thereof, which measurements and photographs shall be at the disposition thereafter of the claimants, or their attorneys, in case such claimants or their attorneys should appear and demand the same before the case is tried.