New York State Senate standing Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development to hold public hearing on deed theft
Deed theft, or stealing the title of a house, also known as title fraud, is a predatory practice targeting rapidly gentrifying communities, especially communities of color. The City of New York received around 3,000 complaints about deed theft between 2014 and 2019, 45% of which came from Brooklyn. Often the practice involves forging a homeowner’s signature on documents without their knowledge or tricking them into signing over their property under false claims of financial relief.
The New York State Senate Standing Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development will hold a public hearing on October 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m at 250 Broadway in Lower Manhattan to receive public testimony on the issue of deed theft in New York State.
“Deed theft is an egregious criminal practice causing irreparable harm to NYC homeowners, especially Black and Brown homeowners in Brooklyn,” said Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn). “These homeowners are not only being scammed out of their homes but out of the opportunity to create generational wealth for their families. Our laws must be strengthened to protect New York homeowners’ right to own what is theirs.”