Sen. Zellnor Myrie, leaders in Southeast Queens warn New Yorkers of deed theft scams.
Photograph courtesy Workplace of State Sen. Zellnor Y. Myrie
Joined by colleagues and advocates in Southeast Queens, Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) on Thursday urged New Yorkers to guard themselves from deed theft scams this vacation season.
Myrie mentioned deed theft is a criminal offense the place householders can unknowingly lose the title to their property, and that longtime Black and brown householders are particularly susceptible.
Myrie, consultant for the 20th Senate District in Brooklyn, whose grandmother hailed from Jamaica, was joined by Meeting Member Alicia Hyndman (D-Queens) and Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Queens), together with Lori Miller of Neighborhood Housing Companies of Jamaica and Jay Inwald of Authorized Companies NYC.
“Deed theft is a pernicious crime that robs households of the wealth they’ve constructed and handed down for generations,” Myrie mentioned. ‘Notably in Black communities the place property values have elevated in recent times, scammers and fraudsters are looking out for tactics to steal titles to our houses.
“Whereas we lately handed new legal guidelines I sponsored to make deed theft simpler to prosecute, all householders ought to concentrate on some of these crimes and take motion to guard themselves,” he added.
“Deed theft has been a persistent subject for householders in Southeast Queens and close by communities, threatening the legacy of households who’ve invested a lot into their houses,” Hyndman mentioned.
“This 12 months, we took significant steps to fight this injustice,” she added. “The State price range formally defines deed theft as a criminal offense, limits how predatory buyers can strain householders to promote or take over inherited properties, and introduces stronger protections to maintain New Yorkers of their houses.
“As your Assemblywoman, I urge households to make use of this vacation season to speak about property plans and discover sources like HOPP to safeguard their houses,” Hyndman continued. “Collectively, we will defend the muse of our neighborhood and guarantee each household in Southeast Queens has the help they should preserve their houses and their future.”
“Deed thefts, partition scams and myriad different threats to homeownership, particularly in New York’s communities of shade on the entrance traces of gentrification and traditionally denied entry to homeownership, stay with us in spite of everything these years,” mentioned Jay Inwald, director of litigation— Financial Justice at Authorized Companies NYC. “Latest laws has made some enhancements and offered some instruments to hunt redress and accountability for many who have already succumbed to those scams, however with out enactment of the Shopper and Small Enterprise Safety Act New York’s primary shopper safety regulation lags behind these of 43 different states that prohibit unfair and abusive conduct, depriving advocates searching for redress for deed theft victims of an essential device.
“Furthermore, New York’s most essential homeownership preservation useful resource and its solely deed theft and rip-off prevention device is the House owner Safety Program (‘HOPP’), the statewide community of housing counseling companies and authorized providers suppliers representing susceptible householders in each county of the state,” he added. “That program is threatened with extinction yearly throughout the Albany price range season, however enactment of the HOPP Codification Act lately handed with overwhelming help within the legislature (S7297C/A7636-C) would go a good distance in the direction of making certain that the HOPP program stays a everlasting characteristic of New York’s legal guidelines addressing scams and different threats to homeownership throughout the state.”
“Deed theft is an insidious crime that preys on our most susceptible householders, robbing them of their hard-earned generational wealth,” mentioned New York Metropolis Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, whose mom hails from Jamaica. “This subject disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities, together with Southeast Queens, the place households have constructed robust legacies rooted in homeownership.
“With new legal guidelines in place to strengthen protections and prosecute these crimes, it’s extra essential than ever to coach our neighbors concerning the warning indicators and sources out there to stop deed theft,” she added. “I’m proud to hitch my colleagues and advocates in standing up for householders and making certain they’re outfitted with the instruments to safeguard their properties and futures.”
“Deed theft is a silent epidemic that erodes the generational wealth and stability of numerous households in Southeast Queens,” mentioned Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams. “As a neighborhood significantly inclined to those predatory schemes, we should take decisive motion. That’s why I’m proud to introduce laws like Intro 1086, which mandates well timed notification of deed and mortgage-related filings to property homeowners.
