Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced the creation of the city’s first Office of Deed Theft Prevention, naming a longtime homeowner assistance lawyer as its director.

The office will be led by Peter White, who most recently worked for Access Justice Brooklyn, a nonprofit that provides legal services to low-income city residents, Mamdani said at a news conference.

What You Need To Know

The city’s first Office of Deed Theft Prevention will be led by Peter White, a longtime homeowner assistance attorney, according to Mamdani

More than 3,500 deed theft complaints were filed in the five boroughs between 2013 and 2023, primarily in Brooklyn and Queens, according to data from the New York State Attorney General’s office

The announcement comes days after City Councilman Chi Ossé was arrested in Brooklyn while protesting the eviction of a constituent

Mamdani said the city has also paused the tax lien sale for six months while reviewing the system

It will be housed within the city Department of Finance, coordinating with other city agencies, including the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Commission on Human Rights, he said.

Deed theft — which happens when the title to a home is taken without the homeowner’s knowledge or consent, often through forgery or deception — has “escalated over the past few years,” Mamdani said.

More than 3,500 deed theft complaints were filed in the five boroughs between 2013 and 2023, primarily in Brooklyn and Queens, he said, citing data from the New York State Attorney General’s office.

Five hundred and seventeen complaints were lodged in 2025, up from 149 in 2023, he added.

“Deed theft not only disproportionately robs Black and brown New Yorkers of their homes, it also robs them of the stability that a home provides,” he said. “I know in the past, city government has too often stood idly by while deed theft occurs, rather than acting to prevent it. With Peter’s leadership, we are bringing that era to an end.”

The new office, White said, will have three main focuses: identifying deed fraud, preventing scams and helping victims recover their stolen property.

“My fundamental goal is to make life better for New York City homeowners,” he said. “This is something I have tried to do since the beginning of my legal career, and it’s remained a guiding principle throughout my time working as an attorney at Access Justice Brooklyn.”

White said deed theft disproportionately affects seniors and communities of color.

“Many potential scammers see these people as being the most vulnerable population in New York City, and we’re going to try to help correct that,” he said.

The announcement comes days after City Councilman Chi Ossé was arrested in Brooklyn while protesting the eviction of a constituent.

While Ossé said the eviction stemmed from a case of deed theft, a spokesperson for New York State Attorney General Letitia James said her office did not consider it a case of deed theft involving fraud or a scam.

More broadly, Ossé has said deed theft has become an “epidemic” in neighborhoods like Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, where he represents residents.

Ossé, who has been advocating for an eviction moratorium for homeowners dealing with pending deed theft cases, said the creation of the new office will send a clear message that the city will no longer be “a playground for those who exploit its people.”

“New York will not allow homes to be stolen through paperwork and pressure or turned into speculative chips in someone else’s portfolio,” he said at Friday’s press conference.

In addition to addressing deed theft, Mamdani highlighted broader housing pressures, including the city’s tax lien sale system. He said the city has paused the tax lien sale for six months while reviewing the system.

“Every New Yorker should be able to lead a dignified life in the home that they grew up in,” he said.