Good afternoon, Chair Menin and thank you for holding this hearing today. I am here representing Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to provide testimony on two of the bills being heard today: Intro 1294 and Intro 1332.
Regarding Intro 1294: Deed theft is a pressing issue in Brooklyn, especially for older adult homeowners in the central and eastern parts of the borough. According to Brooklyn Legal Services, the most common scams these homeowners may face are refinancing scams, equity stripping, and foreclosure bailout loans. In short, scammers take advantage of vulnerable homeowners who may be having trouble making mortgage payments, have bad credit, and/or are at risk of foreclosure. Homeownership is one of the most important pathways to building and sustaining wealth, and when deed theft scammers target these communities, they are trying to displace our neighbors and lock families out of homes that they have had for generations.
Deed theft enforcement is primarily a State issue, and Attorney General James is working hard to prosecute offenders. Still, there is more we can do locally. Intro 1294 would create a Deed Theft Conviction Database to compile information about convicted offenders on a publicly accessible website, so that anyone wondering if they might be the target of a scam can easily access this resource. This is a simple policy that could go a long way to informing the public about risk.
Additionally, Borough President Reynoso encourages the Council to hear and/or pass:
- Intro 67, requiring DOF to conduct outreach and education about deed fraud and foreclosure prevention assistance fraud, including referral resources for legal assistance;
- Intro 782, requiring DOF to send information with property tax bills, including availability of exemptions such as SCRIE and DRIE; and about how to register for the ACRIS Alert system so homeowners will receive an alert when deeds, mortgages, and other documents are recorded against their property; and
- Future legislation to create a Tangled Title Fund, modeled on Philadelphia’s. Philly’s fund provides up to $4,000 each for qualified homeowners to cover admin, legal, and other costs that may arise in resolving a homeownership issue. The City Council’s Estate Planning Initiative is a step in the right direction, but it needs dramatically more funding to reach all who need it.
Regarding Intro 1332: Delivery apps’ practice of locking out or deactivating their workers without cause undermines the Council’s efforts to protect them by creating minimum pay standards and safety measures. Borough President Reynoso wants to thank the Council for expanding minimum pay and worker protections to grocery delivery workers, overriding the Mayor’s veto, and requiring new safety trainings for delivery cyclists. Intro 1332 is the next step in these efforts.
Delivery workers deserve predictability in their wages and schedules just like anyone would receive at a nine-to-five job. Increased and stable pay can also incentivize workers to buy and service legal and safe e-bike options, instead of pursuing unsafe alternatives. Additionally, algorithms that prioritize workers who make multiple deliveries and/or complete them quickly incentivize unsafe practices that endanger the workers and everyone who uses our streets. We must continue to hold the corporations who own these apps accountable for treating their workers with dignity and keeping them and the public safe.
Thank you again for holding this hearing today and drawing attention to these important issues.
