On Monday, Local Law 69 of 2025 took effect, requiring the Department of Finance (DOF) to notify property owners or their agents via mail or email when a deed-
related or mortgage-related document has been recorded for their property. Passed by the New York City Council as Introduction 1086-A
This April, DOF is now required by law to send these notifications at least 30 days after a property-related document has been recorded. By notifying homeowners of such a document being recorded, they will be empowered to take appropriate action that prevents any attempted deed theft or efforts jeopardizing their control of property.
This law is the latest in ongoing efforts by the Council to combat deed theft and protect working- and middle-class homeowners, especially in communities of color disproportionately targeted by predatory schemes.
Deed theft occurs when someone illegally transfers ownership of a property by falsifying documents, forging signatures, or using other deceptive tactics. Property-related scams have been on the rise in recent years due to several factors, including the 2008 foreclosure crisis, the significant rise in property values, and additional financial strains on homeowners from the COVID-19 pandemic. Black and Latino homeownership communities have disproportionately been the target of these predatory financial schemes that threaten the loss of prized assets and the transfer of hard-earned wealth within families.
“Homeowners, particularly in communities of color, have disproportionately been subjected to threats that attempt to rob their families of prized assets and generational wealth,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “These predatory actions can further harm communities already negatively impacted by economic inequities, deepening racial wealth gaps. The Council has consistently prioritized preserving and promoting homeownership as a critical pathway to economic mobility, including through deed theft prevention and support of homeowners in our neighborhoods. This new law will ensure homeowners are empowered to proactively protect their properties against harmful property-related scams.”
“Deed theft strips families of stability, legacy, and the homes they’ve spent generations building,” said Council Member Nantasha Williams. “It’s one of the most predatory threats facing Black and Brown homeowners in this city and it thrives in the shadows of bureaucracy and silence. The Council’s work to prevent deed theft, including this new law, is about making sure New Yorkers are notified, informed, and protected before harm is done. The only way to end deed theft is to close the loopholes that let it thrive and this is a decisive step in doing just that.”
Local Law 69 is one of several new laws successfully passed by the Council to strengthen deed theft prevention. In April, the Council also passed Introduction 889-A (Local Law 68 of 2025), sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson, to require DOF to provide a notification to the local Council Member when a document is recorded against any property within their district that has been continuously owned by the same party for 30 years or more. This new law will take effect 90 days from Monday.
Earlier this year in February, the Council passed several other new laws to protect against deed theft and property-related financial scams. Local Law 25 of 2025, sponsored by Council Member Hudson, requires a purchaser submitting an offer to buy certain residential property that the owner has not listed for sale, is not actively selling, or did not intend to sell to disclose the estimated market value of the residential property, in writing and a clear and noticeable manner. Local Law 34 of 2025, also sponsored by Council Member Hudson, requires the dissemination of informational materials to educate older adults about potential scams.
Local Law 26 of 2025, sponsored by Council Member Kevin Riley, requires the Office of the Homeowner Advocate to consult with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to provide support and counseling to homeowners and their heirs in order to protect their asset. The topics of support include estate planning, mortgage counseling, municipal payment assistance, repair financing, and scam prevention.
The Council has also collaborated with local law schools and pro bono attorneys to provide free estate planning resources to New Yorkers across the five boroughs that help prevent deed theft.
Speaker Adams first outlined these various efforts to combat deed theft in her 2024 State of the City address, highlighting the need to protect homeownership, especially in communities of color targeted by predatory financial practices.
