{"id":270803,"date":"2026-06-18T13:30:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/270803\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T13:30:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:30:14","slug":"hochul-touts-deed-theft-crackdown-in-brooklyn-but-eviction-pause-remains-elusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/270803\/","title":{"rendered":"Hochul touts deed theft crackdown in Brooklyn, but eviction pause remains elusive"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/a> touted state funding, prosecution tools and prevention efforts during a Brooklyn roundtable on deed theft Wednesday, but her office did not commit to the eviction pause that, advocates say, is needed<\/a> to keep homeowners in place while fraud claims are resolved.<\/p>\n

The meeting, held inside a Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone, came as homeowner advocates continue pressing<\/a> Hochul to support a temporary moratorium on evictions involving properties where deed theft or related fraud may be at issue.<\/p>\n

Hochul\u2019s office said after the event that the governor cannot unilaterally impose such a moratorium under her emergency powers without an underlying state disaster emergency.<\/p>\n

The position leaves unresolved a key demand from local City Council Member Chi Oss\u00e9, the People\u2019s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft, and other elected officials. Back in February, they first urged Hochul to enforce a temporary eviction moratorium on New York City properties where there is a possibility of deed theft or fraud.<\/p>\n

Oss\u00e9 and representatives of the People\u2019s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft, who have been among the most vocal proponents of an eviction pause, were not at Wednesday\u2019s roundtable. <\/p>\n

amNewYork has reached out to Oss\u00e9\u2019s office and the coalition for comment.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cNo New Yorker should be cheated out of the opportunity to own a home, which is why Governor Hochul took substantive steps to give law enforcement the tools they need to hold thieves and scammers accountable and prevent deed theft from occurring,\u201d a Hochul spokesperson said when asked about the calls for an eviction pause and broader cease-and-desist protections. \u201cAdditionally, last year, the Governor took action to protect homeowners by signing legislation strengthening important cease and desist zone notification procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochul outlines deed theft protections
\n\"\"NYPD officers arrest Brooklyn Council Member Chi Oss\u00e9 during a Bedford-Stuyvesant protest over an alleged deed-theft eviction on Wednesday, April 22Photo via of Chi OsSe Instagram<\/p>\n

The roundtable placed Hochul in the middle of a growing fight over deed theft and homeownership fraud in central Brooklyn, where elected officials and advocates say predatory real estate schemes threaten Black homeownership, neighborhood stability, and generational wealth.<\/p>\n

Hochul told homeowners and elected officials gathered Wednesday that the state has increased funding for homeowner protection programs and changed state law to give prosecutors more tools to pursue deed theft cases and intervene in disputes over possession or ownership.<\/p>\n

\u201cHomeowners are being targeted by despicable criminals,\u201d the governor said.\n<\/p>\n

Hochul added that funding for a homeowner protection program had been doubled under her administration, from about $20 million to about $40 million annually, and said the state had allocated more than $200 million for the program since she took office.<\/p>\n

But Hochul also acknowledged the need to assess whether the state\u2019s response is reaching people before they lose their homes.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we seeing the effects of these laws now?\u201d Hochul asked. \u201cAre we feeling that the situation is more known to people?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Assembly Member Latrice Walker used that opening to state that several gaps remain in the system.\n<\/p>\n

Walker said homeowner protection funding often flows to nonprofit organizations, but not necessarily to defense attorneys who can represent homeowners in court. Homeowners may attend workshops or receive advice on wills, trusts and estates, she said, only to leave with a bill or retainer they cannot afford.<\/p>\n

She said legal services groups may advise homeowners in foreclosure cases or help guide them through the process, but that does not always mean a lawyer takes over the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a defense bar that\u2019s established here in central Brooklyn that I think deserves to be able to gain access to some of the HOPP resources,\u201d Walker said, referring to the state\u2019s Homeowner Protection Program.<\/p>\n

Walker also pointed to estate-planning issues that can make families vulnerable to losing homes. She said some people are unable to name children as executors because of prior felony convictions involving theft or fraud, creating what she described as a \u201cback-end\u201d vulnerability in passing homes between generations.<\/p>\n

She also raised concerns over protections for bona fide purchasers, saying that even when a bad actor is found to have committed a crime, a later buyer who says they did not know about the fraud may not have to return the home to the original owner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis person is convicted on this,\u201d Walker said. \u201cThis person is brought to term, but how do I get the house back?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Cease-and-desist zones<\/p>\n

The concerns echoed calls made weeks earlier at Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s April 24 announcement creating the Office of Deed Theft Prevention<\/a>. At that event, Attorney General Letitia James called for expanded legal representation for homeowners and cease-and-desist designations in central Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

Cease-and-desist zones are designated by the state Department of State to curb aggressive real estate solicitation. In those areas, real estate brokers, salespeople, and others regularly engaged in buying and selling property are barred from soliciting listings from homeowners who have registered for the state\u2019s cease-and-desist list. <\/p>\n

The state currently has a Kings County zone covering part of Community Board 17, but advocates have called for broader protections in central Brooklyn.\n<\/p>\n

James said in April that the state had set aside $40 million to support legal services for homeowners, but added, \u201cThat\u2019s not enough.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone facing a foreclosure should have an attorney period,\u201d James said.\n<\/p>\n

James also said the state did not need to wait for legislation to designate parts of central Brooklyn as cease-and-desist zones, arguing that the secretary of state could act \u201ctoday, with a pen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Attorney General Letitia James speaks during Friday\u2019s announcement of New York City\u2019s new Office of Deed Theft Prevention in Bedford-Stuyvesant.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell<\/p>\n

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams made a similar appeal at the April event, saying he was thankful for what Hochul had done but wanted \u201cthe Governor to listen to what was asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Secretary of State can, right now, do the cease and desist,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThere is no need to wait.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Hochul\u2019s office did not respond to questions on whether the administration would expand cease-and-desist zones in areas where deed theft is most prevalent.\n<\/p>\n

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Wednesday that his office has seen deed theft schemes become more complex. He said cases increasingly involve networks of people who identify vulnerable homeowners, buy up small interests in properties, purchase debt, make false promises to help with a bank or short sale, or hold onto signed documents for years before moving to force homeowners out.<\/p>\n

Gonzalez said his office recently secured the return of nine deeds to families after a conviction. He also announced that his office would create a housing justice bureau to work with homeowners earlier in the process and coordinate with the sheriff when suspicious cases arise.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time we get involved, often the people are out of their homes,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cYou want to be in the front end now.\u201d
\n\"\"Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez answers a question during Wednesday\u2019s roundtablePhoto by Lloyd Mitchell\n<\/p>\n

The setting carried its own history. The roundtable was hosted by Marilyn Reid, a longtime member of the Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, a civic group founded in 1978 to help preserve the neighborhood\u2019s housing stock.<\/p>\n

Reid said she and her family bought the brownstone decades ago for $60,000 after attending one of the group\u2019s house tours. In an interview after the roundtable, she said she became involved in neighborhood preservation because of \u201cthe love of community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reid said the Brownstoners had previously organized door-to-door outreach around tax liens, sending volunteers out in groups to connect homeowners with one-on-one help before they lost their homes. She said a similar block-by-block effort is needed on deed theft, with workshops on wills, trusts, estate planning and property records.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to get out there and go hand by hand, foot by foot, letting people know you do not have to lose your home,\u201d Reid said during the roundtable.
\n\"\"Gov. Kathy Hochul listens as Marilyn Reid, a longtime member of the Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, speaks during a deed theft and homeownership fraud roundtable at Reid\u2019s Bed-Stuy brownstone on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell\n<\/p>\n

The February initiative from Oss\u00e9, the People\u2019s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft and other elected officials called for more than an eviction pause. It also sought a citywide opt-out cease-and-desist zone to curb predatory real estate, legal and financial solicitation; a right to counsel for homeowners facing deed theft cases; dedicated investigative units in district attorney offices; loan forgiveness and refinancing help for homeowners facing liens and financial hardship; and stronger LLC transparency laws.<\/p>\n

The April launch of the city\u2019s deed theft office<\/a> moved some of that fight to City Hall. Mamdani created the office by executive order, housed it within the Department of Finance and announced a six-month pause on tax lien sales, but he stopped short of endorsing the eviction moratorium advocates have demanded.<\/p>\n

Hochul did not announce a new state moratorium or cease-and-desist designation on Wednesday. Instead, she emphasized prevention, education, and enforcement, saying the state\u2019s goal is to make homeowners aware of their rights and ensure scammers are prosecuted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the best strategy is to make sure that people are aware,\u201d Hochul said near the end of the roundtable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gov. Kathy Hochul touted state funding, prosecution tools and prevention efforts during a Brooklyn roundtable on deed theft…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270804,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,22100,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-270803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-deed-theft","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}