liftdue

Can I use these records to reach building owners?

Here's what we found in the Texas elevator rules and US email law, with sources. We didn't check New York's own rules.

On this page

Short answer

  • We found nothing in the Texas elevator law or TDLR's elevator rules that stops a registered contractor from contacting a building owner. That's our reading, not a ruling. Health and Safety Code ch. 754, 16 TAC ch. 74
  • The records are public. Texas law says an agency can't ask why you want its records, and TDLR posts its elevator file as a free download. That law is about getting the records, not using them. Tex. Gov't Code §552.222, TDLR site policies, TDLR data dictionary
  • New York City puts it plainly: "There are no restrictions on the use of Open Data." That covers the data, not how you contact people. NYC Open Data FAQ
  • The rules care about how you talk to owners. No misleading information, no threats or pressure, and no false advertising. 16 TAC §74.72
  • TDLR treats false or misleading advertising by an elevator contractor as a Class C violation. For a first violation, TDLR's table lists a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 "per unit of equipment", a suspension (from a 1-year probated one up to losing your registration), or both. TDLR elevator contractor sanctions

What to say to an owner

Say what the record says, with its date and link. Open the linked record the day you write and quote what it shows that day, not an older copy. For example, in Texas:

TDLR's public file, as of [date], shows an inspection due date of [date] for [number] units at [building]. That can just mean the paperwork hasn't reached TDLR yet. If it was inspected, your inspector can let TDLR know.

In New York City:

DOB NOW's data, as of [date], shows no [year] Category 1 test report on file for [building]. The test can run until December 31, and the report is due 21 days after the test, so it may just not be filed yet.

TDLR site policies, 16 TAC §74.72, DOB elevator compliance

Don't tell an owner the elevator is unsafe or illegal, don't call a past due date a violation, and don't say it wasn't inspected. The record can lag a real inspection. A TDLR overdue notice to an owner says TDLR "has not received notification" that the inspection was done, and asks owners whose equipment was inspected to have the inspector tell TDLR.

Quoted from a TDLR overdue notice in TDLR's public document archive (not linked because it names a building owner).

Don't run down their current maintenance company. Texas counts running down another business with false or misleading facts as a deceptive practice. Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §17.46(b)(8)

Never suggest TDLR or DOB sent you or backs you, and never promise an owner a delay or a waiver. 16 CFR §461.2, Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §17.46(b)(3), 16 TAC §74.72(f)(3)

If you email owners

US commercial email law (CAN-SPAM) applies to business email too. It has no B2B exception.

The basics: an honest From line and subject, a clear sign it's an ad, your postal address, and an easy opt-out you honor within 10 business days.

Each email that breaks them can draw a civil penalty of up to $53,088 (the figure in 16 CFR §1.98 as of Nov 2026), and that holds even if someone else sends for you. FTC CAN-SPAM compliance guide, 16 CFR §1.98

liftdue shows owner and contact names as the public records list them, not phone numbers or email addresses. How you reach out is up to you.

Where liftdue stands

liftdue isn't affiliated with or endorsed by TDLR, NYC DOB or any government agency. We build our lists from public records and link every row to its record.

Neither agency vouches for the accuracy of its data, so check the linked record before you act on a row. TDLR site policies, NYC Open Data policies

What each record does and doesn't prove is on Where the data comes from.

We haven't checked phone or text rules. Ask a lawyer before you cold-call or text owners, or reach out in New York.

liftdue wrote this from the sources listed here. No lawyer or agency reviewed it. It's a plain summary of public sources, not legal advice.

Sources

We read each source on .

  1. Texas Government Code §552.222 (Public Information Act)
  2. TDLR site policies
  3. TDLR elevator search help and data dictionary
  4. NYC Open Data FAQ
  5. Texas Health and Safety Code chapter 754
  6. 16 Texas Administrative Code chapter 74 (TDLR elevator rules)
  7. 16 Texas Administrative Code §74.72
  8. TDLR sanctions for elevator contractors
  9. TDLR overdue-inspection notice to a building owner, in TDLR's public document archive (quoted, not linked: it names the owner)
  10. Texas Business and Commerce Code §17.46 (deceptive trade practices)
  11. 16 CFR §461.2 (impersonation of government)
  12. FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business
  13. 16 CFR §1.98 (current FTC civil penalty amounts)
  14. NYC Open Data technical standards, public policies
  15. NYC DOB elevator compliance (Category 1 test window and filing deadline)