Overview
- The new Office of Deed Theft Prevention sits in the Department of Finance and is led by Peter White, a veteran homeowner-assistance attorney from Access Justice Brooklyn.
- The unit will flag suspicious property filings, coordinate with the state attorney general and local district attorneys, improve data sharing across agencies, and run public education to deter fraud.
- Its plan centers on early detection, homeowner outreach, and efforts to recover homes, though its direct enforcement powers and staffing levels remain uncertain.
- The announcement followed a Bed-Stuy eviction protest in which Council Member Chi Ossé was arrested, even as the attorney general previously described that case as a property dispute rather than confirmed deed theft.
- Funding starts at $500,000 this fiscal year and $1 million in subsequent years, as complaints to the attorney general rose from 149 in 2023 to 517 in 2025 and New York criminalized deed theft in 2024 before securing a first conviction last fall.