Evidence before conclusions
Methodology
LotContext reads a published, versioned property record assembled by its data platform. Separate collector workers retrieve public records, preserve provenance, normalize and validate them, and publish an internally consistent revision. Pages read that published record; they do not show raw city data fetched while you wait.
1. Identify before publishing
Collector runs resolve source records to stable parcel and building identifiers before they can be published. Address search checks the local index first. To place an address that is not yet published, and on the public BBL/BIN tool, the server sends the address text (never your account details) to NYC Planning's GeoSearch locator. When the two disagree, you choose the match.
A BBL identifies a tax lot and a BIN identifies a building. They are not silently merged. Condominium lots, multi-building parcels, incomplete identifiers, and conflicting mappings remain visible limitations.
Condominiums have a billing lot for the building (lots 7501–7599) and a separate lot for each unit. City agencies file some records against the unit lot and others against the billing lot. LotContext does not yet link unit lots to their billing lot, so a condominium dossier shows only records filed against that exact lot.
2. Keep parcel evidence separate from context
Records matched by a supported parcel or building identifier are shown as property evidence. Radius, ZIP, precinct, and other administrative-area records are labeled as neighborhood context. Nearby activity is never represented as an event at the searched parcel.
3. Preserve source and retrieval state
Each collector run has bounded retries and an auditable state. Raw source versions, retrieval time, source identity, record identifiers, match method, normalized fields, and validation results are retained before a publication is made visible. The product reports published coverage as available, no matching records, not covered, stale, or conflicting.
4. Produce explainable findings
The findings engine applies reviewed rules to returned records—for example, flagging an open enforcement record or repeated recent complaints. A finding includes evidence references, confidence and severity labels, and diligence questions. It is research support, not a legal, engineering, title, appraisal, lending, insurance, or compliance conclusion.
5. Cache without hiding age or authorization
A successful publication replaces the prior visible revision atomically; a failed or quarantined collector run does not. Source and publication timestamps remain visible, and authorization is checked whenever a private dossier or frozen report snapshot is opened. Opaque share tokens—not report IDs—control public sharing.