If a tree is gobbling-up your sidewalk, call 311 or your City Council representative.

Every week, the Queens Tribune’s Action Desk page tells the borough’s tales of woe and offers a civic lesson to empower readers in case trouble should strike their block or home.

The following list of help lines addresses the questions most frequently asked by our readers.

If your problem is not here, drop a note to the ActionDesk with your name, address, daytime phone number, description of the problem and who you have reached out to so far. ActionDesk mail should be sent to 174-15 Horace Harding Expwy., Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 or editor@queenstribune.com

• Abandoned Building
  To report abandoned buildings,
  (212) 227-7000
• Abandoned Car
  To report abandoned cars, no plates
  (212) 219-8090
• AIDS
  To get AIDS information,
  (800) TALKHIV
• Airplane Noise
  To file airplane noise complaints, call the Federal Aviation Administration,
  (800) 322-7873
• Alcoholics Anonymous
  To get help from Queens AA,
  (718) 520-5021
• Animal Rescue
  To contact Animal Care and Control,
  (718) 997-6330
• Arson
  To report arson,
  (718) 722-3600 or (718) 352-4845
• Bar Association
  To get references from the Queens Bar Association,
  (718) 291-4500
• Bee Hives
  To get a bee hive removed,
  (718) 699-0873
• Buildings
  To file an illegal construction complaint,
  (212) 227-7000
  To get a Buildings Dept. permit,
  (718) 286-0795
• Bus Schedules
  To get schedules for Queens Surface Corporation buses,
  (718) 445-3100.
  For Green Bus Lines, (718) 995-4700.
  For Triboro Coach Corporation,
  (718) 335-1000
  For Jamaica Buses, (718) 526-0800.
• Cancer
  To reach the national cancer hotline,
  (800) 4-CANCER
• Child Abuse
  To report child abuse or neglect,
  (800) 342-3720
• Con Edison
  For electric and to report electric problems,
  (800) 75CONED
• County Clerk
  To contact the Queens County Clerk,
  (718) 520-3137
• Crime Victims Hotline
  To receive help and referrals for crime victims,
  (212) 577-7777
  Day Care
  To get a listing of day care programs,
  (718) 523-6368
• Death Certificates
  To get a death certificate,
  311
• Dental Referrals
  To obtain emergency dentist referrals,
  311
• Disabilities
  To get info for people with disabilities,
  (212) 788-2742
  To get disabled parking permits,
  (718) 433-3100.
• Disabled Transportation
  To get reduced fare bus/subway passes,
  (718) 596-8585.
  To obtain an application for Access-A-Ride,
  (646) 252-5252 or (877) 337-2017
• Discrimination
  To report discrimination, contact the Human Rights Commission
  (718) 886-6162
• District Attorney
  To contact the office of Queens D.A. Richard Brown,
  (718) 286-6000
• Dog Licenses
  To get a license for your dog,
  (212) 676-2100
• Domestic Violence
  To report and get help for domestic violence,
  (800) 621-HOPE
• Drug Abuse
  To receive help for drug abuse,
  (212) 219-5370
• E-Z Pass
  To get E-Z Pass applications,
  (888) AUTOTOLL
  Elections
  To contact the Queens Board of Elections,
  (718) 730-6730
• Employment
  To contact the Dept. of Employment,
  (212) 442-2356.
  To get job referrals,
  (718) 557-6755
  To file a complaint with OSHA for job safety,
  (212) 352-6700
  To get unemployment benefits,
  (888) 209-8124
• Excavations
  To report planned excavation,
  (888) 272-4480
• Fire
  To get information from the FDNY,
  (718) 999-2056
• Fishing Permits
  To receive fishing permits,
  (718) 457-8862
• Food Complaints
  To file food complaints with the Health Dept.,
  (212)442-9666
• Food Stamps
  To get food stamp applications,
  (718) 557-1399
• Fraud
  To report fraud in city government,
  (212) 825-5959
  To report public assistance fraud,
  (212) 825-5959
• Gas Emergency
  To contact Con Edison,
  (800) 75CONED
• Gays and Lesbians
  To get referrals on gay and lesbian services,
  (212) 620-7310
  
  Housing
  To file a complaint about housing conditions,
  (212) 824-4328
  To get Section and Housing Applications,
  (718) 286-7500.
• Immigration
  To contact the INS,
  (800) 375-5283
• Insurance
  To file insurance policy complaints,
  (212) 480-6400
• Lead Poisoning
  To get info about lead poisoning,
  (212) BAN-LEAD
• Legal Aid
  To contact the Legal Aid Society,
  (347) 245-5132
• Lottery
  To get winning lottery numbers,
  (718) 976-2020
• Marriage Licenses
  To obtain a marriage license,
  (718) 286-2829
• Medicaid
  To get Medicaid info,
  (718) 557-1399
• Mentally Ill
  To get help for the mentally ill,
  (212) 219-5599
• Movies
  To get a listing of movies playing in Queens,
  (718) 777-FILM
• Parking
  To get the status of parking regulations or report defective parking meters,
  311
  To contact the Parking Violations Bureau,
  (718) 422-7800
• Parks
  To get info on Queens Parks,
  (718) 699-0873
• Passport
  To obtain a U.S. passport,
  (212) 206-3500
• Poison
  To contact the Poison Control Center,
  (212) POISONS
• Police
  To get general info from the NYPD,
  (646) 610-5000
  To file a complaint about the NYPD,
  (212) 442-8817
• Public Assistance
  To get info about public assistance,
  (718) 557-1399
• Public Housing
  To get an application for public housing,
  (718) 286-7500
• Railroads
  To get LIRR schedule info,
  (718) 217-5477
  To get Metro North Railroad schedules,
  (212) 532-4900
  To get Amtrak schedules,
  (800) 872-7245
• Rent
  To contact the Division of Housing of Housing & Community Renewal Rent-Infoline,
  (718) 739-6400
• Sewer
  To report a clogged sewer,
  (718) 337-4357
• Sexual Assault
  To contact the crisis intervention program,
  (718) 286-6604
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  For treatment, call the STD Control line,
  (800) 227-8922.
• Small Claims Court
  To file a claim in small claims court,
  (212) 791-6000
• Social Security
  To get social security info,
  (800) 772-1213
• Suicide
  To contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline,
  (212) 673-3000
• Tax
  To report tax evasion,
  (718) 403-4310
  To get tax forms from New York City,
  (718) 935-6114
  To get tax forms from the IRS,
  (800) TAX-FORM
  To get tax info from the IRS,
  (800) 829-1040
  To get tax help from the Dept. Of Finance,
  (718) 935-6000
• Taxi
  To file a complaint against a taxi driver,
  (212) 302-TAXI
• Telephone Books
  For a copy of the Verizon Super Pages
  (800) 888-8448.
• Towed Cars
  To track down your car if it is being towed,
  (718) 786-9715
• Traffic Violations
  To contact the Traffic Violations Bureau,
  (718) 488-5710
• TribAction Desk
  Got a civic gripe, write the TribAction desk at
  174-14 Horace Harding Expwy
  Fresh Meadows, New York, 11365
  or fax (718) 357-9417
• Veterans
  To file for veterans benefits,
  (718) 459-1828
  Vote
  To register to vote
  and find polling places,
  (718) 392-8989
• Water Meter
  To complain about a water meter bill,
  (718) 595-7000
• Worker’s Compensation
  To file a claim for workers compensation,
  (800) 877-1373
• YOUTH INTERVENTION
  To reach the Crisis Intervention Hotline,
  (800) 246-4646
• ZONING
  To apply for zoning variances,
  (212) 720-3291