Mayor Mamdani establishes office to prevent deed theft
The two bills — Intro 1-B and Intro 175-B — were passed by the City Council last month and aim to guide how the NYPD manages protests near sensitive locations while maintaining public safety.
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani established the city's first office of deed theft prevention - an issue that is prevalent in Central Brooklyn.
The office will be led by Peter White, a supervising attorney for homeowner assistance and access justice. The office will be housed within the Department of Finance.
"His work helping New Yorkers navigate what is often a predatory housing market will serve as the foundation for how he leads the office of that prevention, and Peter and his team will work closely across city agencies to build on the 2023 state reforms," said Mayor Mamdani.
The Office of Deed Theft Prevention will work with the Housing Preservation and Development, the city's Commission on Human Rights and Homeowner Help Desk to provide resources and help with legal counsel.
The office will review legislation on the city and state level and will be given a $500,000 budget in its first year that's expected to grow to $1 million in the following years.
The mayor says tax lien sale will also be paused for six months.
The announcement follows a week where tension boiled over during a controversial eviction thought to be tied to deed theft.
Brooklyn Councilmember Chi Ossé was arrested this week as he attempted to stop an eviction of one of his constituents in Bed-Stuy.
Establishing an office of this nature was a priority in the campaign trail for Mayor Mamdani, who once worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor.
