NYC has a new office of deed theft prevention. Here's how it can help owners

A year ago, then-mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani told New Yorkers if he was elected he would create an office to protect them from deed theft. 

In April, Mayor Mamdani followed through on that promise and announced longtime housing lawyer Peter White will lead the new Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention, a first for the city.

According to the state attorney general’s office, there were more than 3,500 deed theft complaints in New York City between 2013 and 2023. There were 517 complaints in 2025, three times the 149 complaints in 2023, Mamdani said at a press conference announcing White’s appointment.

White previously worked as an attorney at Access Justice Brooklyn, a pro-bono legal services organization, where he represented owners facing foreclosure, deed theft, and bankruptcy. He has a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and a law degree from St. John’s University and has done Know Your Rights workshops and other outreach to owners.

“He's definitely well versed when it comes to the issues that homeowners face, particularly deed theft,” said Kevin Wolfe, deputy director of advocacy and public affairs at the Center for NYC Neighborhoods. “We have a high degree of confidence that he will come with the gravitas and with the institutional knowledge.”

What will the new office do?

Deed theft happens when scammers obtain a deed using fraud, sometimes by filing fake documents or having owners sign papers fooling them into transferring a deed. There are also partition scams, where buyers take advantage of the existence of multiple heirs to force a sale of a home.

Mamdani’s executive order tasked the office with expanding enforcement against deed theft, flagging suspicious property filings, coordinating with law enforcement, carrying out public education, promoting prevention techniques, and improve sharing data among different agencies.

“This office will focus on three central tenets: number one, deed fraud identification; number two, deed fraud prevention; and number three, deed fraud correction and remediation,” White said at the April 24th news conference. “Scam prevention already has an ecosystem of outstanding attorneys and housing professionals that have assisted homeowners in their times of need. This office will serve to help coordinate and leverage those efforts.”

The office is housed within the Department of Finance, which records property documents, and will work closely with other departments including the NYC Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. 

The office has a budget of $500,000 for fiscal year 2026 and then $1 million after that, largely for staff. The mayor’s executive order also created a deed theft prevention advocate position.

Deed theft prevention advice

The office has a new website with tips for preventing scams. It lists two important ways NYC homeowners can protect themselves from becoming a victim of deed theft, is a catchall phrase for a variety of fraudulent tactics bad actors use to gain control of a property. 

1. Check your property’s deed. If you own a property, check the city register’s records at least once a year to make sure there are no new deeds or mortgages recorded without your consent. Find your property’s borough, block and lot number on your property tax bill and plug it into ACRIS (or the Richmond County Clerk for Staten Island). 
2. Sign up for the Notice of Recorded Document Program. When a new document is reported against your property, you’ll automatically be mailed a notification. You can also designate someone you trust to get these letters.

Here are some other tips from the website to prevent deed theft in NYC:

• Make sure that the Department of Finance has the correct mailing address for you or the person who should receive notices about your property.
• Contact the Department of Finance if you stop receiving property tax bills and the Department of Environmental Protection if you stop receiving water bills.
• If your property is vacant, check it often to make sure it is not occupied illegally.
• Ask someone you trust to look after your house if you are going to be away for a long period of time.
• Do not let mail pile up if you are going out of town.
• Make sure your will clearly states who should inherit your property when you pass away.
• When a family member passes away and someone else inherits the property, make sure you update the deed with the new owner’s name.
• Buy title insurance. It's a one-time fee that varies depending on the purchase price of your home.
• Discuss with your trusted family members or consult a lawyer before making any decisions that affect ownership of your property, such as adding or removing someone from a deed or taking out a new mortgage, reverse mortgage, or second mortgage.

How to report deed theft

The city’s website also provides the following resources if you need to report fraud. First, report fraud to the NYC Sheriff's Office online or by calling (718) 707-2100.

Next, if your property is in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, or the Bronx, you should get a copy of the fraudulent document on CRIS or by visiting the City Register. For Staten Island, go to the  Richmond County Clerk. 

Finally, contact your local district attorney for the borough where the property is located. You may also want to check on your ownership with an attorney.

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