Brooklyn Is the Epicenter of New York’s Deed Theft Crisis, But Legal Service Providers Are Strained for Capacity
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New York, NY –Today, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, NYC Council Members and Brooklyn Delegation Co-Chairs Chi Ossé and Farah Louis, and NYC Council Member Sandy Nurse rallied with advocates and homeowners at City Hall to demand a major investment into the fight against deed theft as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Deed theft, the fraudulent acquisition of property without a homeowner’s knowledge or consent, has become a rampant issue in Central and Eastern Brooklyn where there is a large concentration of older homeowners and homeowners of color.
“Brooklyn will not tolerate scammers coming to our borough to prey on vulnerable Black and brown homeowners and steal their homes from right under their nose,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “This investment offers the City Council an opportunity to keep our communities whole and give Brooklynites a fighting chance to remain in the homes they’ve owned for generations. I am so thankful to the Brooklyn Delegation for joining us in this demand and to the homeowners and advocates who are making their voices heard today.”
Borough President Reynoso is leading the charge to secure a $5 million investment to fund legal services for deed theft victims fighting to retain their homes. According to the New York Legal Assistance Group, deed theft is especially resource-intense to litigate given the unique complexities of each case and high evidentiary burdens in court. It’s estimated that a typical deed theft case may require upwards of 300 attorney hours and 7 years to complete. As property values rise and small homeowners face growing risks of deed theft, Brooklyn’s network of free legal service providers is strained for capacity and many lack grant funding to explicitly tackle deed theft head-on.
At today’s rally, Council Member Nurse announced legislation she plans to introduce with the support of Co-Prime Sponsors Borough President Reynoso and Council Member Ossé to require the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to create a website that publicly lists all individuals that have been convicted of committing larceny by deed theft. The legislation is set to be introduced at the upcoming City Council Stated Meeting on May 28.
According to the New York State Attorney General’s office, nearly 3,500 complaints of deed theft were made to the New York City Sheriff’s Office from 2014-2023, and more than 1,500 came from Brooklyn –the most of any borough. According to Brooklyn Legal Services, the most common scams these homeowners may face are refinancing scams, equity stripping, and foreclosure bail out loans. Black and brown homeowners are particularly at risk for deed theft schemes given speculation in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, limited access to legal services, and a tendency to lack a formal will or estate plan.
“Deed theft is one of the most cruel crimes committed in our city. It is abuse, inflicted primarily on the seniors who built our communities. Brooklyn’s progressive elected officials are proud to take the lead on combatting this scourge, and committed to the defense our neighborhoods,” said Council Member Chi Ossé.
“Deed theft is hitting Black and brown communities in Brooklyn hardest, stripping families of the homes and generational wealth they’ve spent their lives building. This isn’t just paperwork — it’s a predatory practice targeting our seniors, immigrants, and longtime homeowners. The City must meet this crisis with urgency,” said Council Member Louis. “That’s why I’m proud to stand with Borough President Antonio Reynoso and my Brooklyn delegation colleagues to call for a $5 million investment in this year’s budget — to expand legal services, support community outreach, and help Brooklyn families fight back and stay in their homes.”
“The city has not done enough to stop the increase of criminals who are preying on our older adults to steal the American dream away from Black and Brown families in New York City. These deed thieves are parasites, who are destabilizing communities in Brooklyn,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse. “We’re demanding a $5M down payment in the FY2026 budget to adequately fund the free legal service providers protecting our neighborhoods from these white collar thugs.”
“Because of the multiple scheming parties, perverse financial incentives, and devious tactics involved, unwinding deed theft is a painstaking and complicated process. Bringing scammers to justice and getting homes returned is resource-intensive and can take over a decade. Free legal help is needed now more than ever to counsel vulnerable homeowners, combat these scams, and restore title to victims,” saidShabnam Faruki, Director of the Neighborhood Economic Justice Project at Brooklyn Legal Services. “Free legal help is also the most important tool for preventing deed theft and other equity-stripping scams because the scammers target vulnerable homeowners desperate to avoid foreclosure – if these homeowners can connect with the network of free legal services providers early on, they can avoid getting scammed in the first place.”
“Every day NYLAG sees the impact that deed theft has on our communities. Deed theft has spiraling impacts on individuals and their families, taking their home and an asset that provides stability and access to financial opportunity across generations. In Brooklyn, NYLAG works with first and second generation homeowners, senior citizens, and others who may struggle to pay property taxes or a water bill and look for help to make it through a short time period to preserve their homeownership. Too often, nefarious actors prey on their vulnerability and desperation to save their home with unfair and overly burdensome conditions that place their homeownership at risk. We need more resources for communities to protect homeownership and ensure that families are not driven from their homes. We applaud Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso for his efforts to provide organizations needed resources for this critical work,” said Julie Anne Howe, Esq., Supervising Attorney at New York Legal Assistance Group.
“Deed theft is reprehensible and the thieves who scam vulnerable and unsuspecting homeowners, stealing their homes and the generational wealth their families built, need to be brought to justice. Funding for legal services is critical to putting a stop to deed theft, ensuring people don’t lose their homes. NHN and FAC stand with BP Reynoso and our City Counsel Leaders to call for critical legal services funding to protect the homeowners we serve,” said Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Fifth Avenue Committee
“Deed theft can be a devastating experience for homeowners in New York City. The preservation of affordable homeownership helps families build intergenerational wealth over time and is especially important for closing the economic and racial wealth gap. Preserving homeownership also promotes stability for local communities and the many renters living in units in those family homes. Deed theft can devastate those goals. Funding legal service providers experienced in assisting homeowners and their families who have been victimized by these criminal schemes is crucial to protecting our local communities,” said Edward Mostoller, Director, Homeowner Stability Project at the City Bar Justice Center.
“Deed theft is robbing New Yorkers of their homes, wealth, and futures,” said Christie Peale, CEO and Executive Director of the Center for NYC Neighborhoods. “These crimes don’t just steal property; they steal generational wealth, stability, and trust. We’re proud to stand with Borough President Reynoso and the Brooklyn Delegation in calling for the City to fund the legal service providers who are fighting to return stolen homes and protect our communities.”
“We regularly hear from Black and brown Brooklyn homeowners who have been subjected to equity-stripping scams that deprive their families of intergenerational wealth and who are desperate for help” said Sean Davis, Senior Staff Attorney at Mobilization for Justice. “In addition to funding for free legal services to help victimized homeowners, New York should improve its outdated consumer protection to ban unfair and abusive practices and empower homeowners to hold scammers accountable.”
“At the core of Access Justice Brooklyn’s mission, we seek to preserve homeownership throughout Brooklyn, particularly among low- to moderate-income homeowners, making our services a necessity amidst rising home values and resulting gentrification which threatens to push many Brooklynites from their neighborhoods,”said Peter S. White II, Supervising Attorney at Access Justice Brooklyn. “Unfortunately, predatory developers target these residents – especially those who may not be aware of their home’s increased value – with deed theft and other scams to strip them of their highly valuable assets. To help avoid and overcome such threats, funding directed towards legal services and prevention-oriented programming, such as those provided by AJB, is critical to ensuring homeowners are equipped with the information necessary to identify potential scams and know how to seek legal help. Combatting deed theft is resource intensive for legal service providers and therefore, long-standing, committed support is essential.”
“We’re excited to be a part of this collaborative effort to continue to address an issue that has impacted our community for quite some time,” said Richard Trouth, Executive Director of Brooklyn Neighborhood Services (BNS). “We continue to see lives disrupted and families lose their most valuable asset. Information is key to addressing this systemic problem, and this initiative will provide a greater understanding to homeowners with the invaluable resources they need to recognize deed theft, avoid it, and stay in their homes.”
