NYC Fights Deed Theft with New Finance Department Office

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday created the Office of Deed Theft Prevention, naming attorney Peter White as its director. City officials said the new unit is designed to address deed theft, which involves fraudulent transfers of property ownership that can strip homeowners of assets and generational wealth. The office is set to operate inside the Department of Finance.

Officials said White brings relevant legal experience from his prior role as a supervising attorney at Access Justice Brooklyn. His work there included deed theft litigation, foreclosure matters, and landlord-tenant disputes. The city said that background will support the office’s mission as it begins operations.

According to the city, the Office of Deed Theft Prevention will coordinate with other agencies, including the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The stated approach centers on identifying potential cases earlier, educating homeowners about risks and warning signs, and helping affected residents pursue recovery of their property. Officials described the effort as a way to improve how the city detects and responds to complex ownership disputes and alleged fraud.

The announcement comes after a recent incident in Brooklyn that pushed the issue into wider public view: the arrest of Councilmember Chi Ossé during an attempt to stop an eviction. In that situation, the state Attorney General’s office said the matter was a property dispute rather than deed theft. Ossé said he expects the new office to help provide clarity and support for homeowners who are navigating complicated property-related problems.

Funding for the office is included in the mayor’s preliminary budget, with $500,000 allocated for the current fiscal year and $1 million planned for subsequent years, officials said. The city has not detailed how those amounts will be divided across staffing, outreach, or legal support, leaving some operational specifics unclear as the office begins its work.

For markets and policy stakeholders, the move highlights how local governments are using administrative tools to address risks tied to property ownership and housing stability. The city’s plan focuses on prevention and assistance rather than announcing new criminal penalties, and it emphasizes coordination across agencies. How quickly the office can identify cases and assist homeowners, and how it will measure results, remain open questions based on the information released so far.