Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani established the City's first Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention and appointed Peter White as the office's director.
Deed theft, in which white-collar criminals use fraudulent filings to steal homes from longtime residents, is a persistent threat to working-class homeowners in New York. Families who have spent decades building stability and generational wealth are being targeted and displaced through complex scams that exploit gaps in oversight.
"The theft of a home is the theft of a family's future," said Mayor Mamdani. "Deed theft preys on the New Yorkers who can least afford it. Today, we are bringing the full force of City government to bear to stop it - to protect homeowners, defend generational wealth and make clear that this City will not tolerate the exploitation of our communities. I am proud to appoint Peter White as the director of New York City's first-ever Office of Deed Theft Prevention, where he will write a new story of leadership and action."
"I am deeply humbled to join the Mamdani administration as the Director of the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention. I have worked to protect New York City homeowners throughout my career, and will carry that passion into my new role serving New Yorkers," said Peter White, Director of the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention. "I look forward to working with Mayor Mamdani and leaders across the city and state to bring an integrated approach to protecting working-class homeowners across the city."
White, an attorney with Access Justice Brooklyn, has spent years representing homeowners facing foreclosure and deed theft. In his new role, he will lead a coordinated, citywide strategy to prevent fraud, support impacted residents and strengthen enforcement. White holds a law degree from St. John's University and a bachelor's degree from Fordham University, and has led extensive community outreach and legal clinic work alongside his practice.
Over the last decade, thousands of deed theft complaints have been filed across New York City, with the highest concentration in Brooklyn and Queens. Black homeowners and neighborhoods have been disproportionately targeted, deepening racial wealth gaps and destabilizing communities.
Recent state legislation has strengthened tools to investigate and prosecute deed theft. The new office will leverage those authorities while building a proactive, preventive approach across agencies.
The Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention will be housed in the Department of Finance (DOF), which records property documents, and will work closely with the Sheriff's Office, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, along with state and local partners.
Established by Executive Order 16, the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention will expand strategic enforcement against deed theft, flag suspicious property filings, coordinate with law enforcement, conduct public education and outreach, promote preventative safeguards and improve data-sharing across agencies.
"By creating an office dedicated solely to combating deed theft, the Mayor is delivering on his commitment to protect vulnerable communities and help preserve generational wealth for New Yorkers most at risk of exploitation," said Department of Finance Commissioner Richard Lee. "Critically, the office's mission is both proactive and responsive: preventing deed theft before it occurs while ensuring a swift, effective response when cases arise. By dedicating resources and providing direct support to impacted New Yorkers, the office will help victims navigate the complicated web of legal, financial, and bureaucratic processes-connecting them with the tools and guidance they need to protect their home."
"Deed theft is exploitative and criminal-and we are committed to ending it," said Dina Levy, Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation & Development. "Scammers have stolen from too many New Yorkers, especially Black families who have fought for generations to own a home. New York homeowners deserve to sleep at night knowing that their home will remain theirs tomorrow. I look forward to working with Peter White and the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention to protect vulnerable homeowners across New York."
"Deed theft is rampant in New York City, with criminals illegally scamming people out of their homes in broad daylight," said Christine Clarke, Chair and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights. "We have long known that deed thieves specifically target Black neighborhoods and Black homeowners in distress. Not only is this unlawful, but we know that many Black families build generational wealth through homeownership, making the effects of deed theft particularly profound. The NYC Commission on Human Rights enforces the law prohibiting racial discrimination in housing, which includes predatory racist deed theft schemes and reverse redlining. We look forward to an all-of-city approach to tackling this problem that has stripped so many Black families in New York of hard-fought generational wealth."
"No New Yorker should have to live with the fear that their family's home and financial stability may be stolen out from under them. Deed theft and other illegal housing schemes are fueling displacement, and we must use every tool at our disposal to stop it. I have fought to pass statewide legislation to criminalize deed theft and allow us to pause evictions as we investigate these cases, and I have brought deed thieves to justice and returned stolen homes to their rightful owners. I commend Mayor Mamdani and all of the elected and community leaders who have prioritized the fight against deed theft, and I am proud to celebrate the appointment of Peter S. White II as the first director of the newly created Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention. This is a critical step forward in our efforts to end deed theft and keep New Yorkers in their homes," said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
"I commend the mayor for establishing this office, an effort I'm proud to support and inform," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "At a time when working families - particularly Black families - are being forced out of our city by an affordability crisis, It's important now that we provide homeowners with the resources and information needed to combat deed theft, unscrupulous actors and untenable situations. Home ownership is a dream and a goal that builds wealth, builds power, builds community. This is a generational fight for generational wealth and stability, and one we have to win."
"Deed theft and predatory housing scams can devastate families, strip away generational wealth, and leave homeowners fighting to keep the homes they worked decades to build. I commend Mayor Mamdani for bringing government together to confront this crisis. My office will investigate these cases, prosecute when the conduct is criminal, and work closely with the Office of Deed Theft Prevention and our partners to help Brooklyn homeowners in distress," said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
"The establishment of the Office of Deed Theft Prevention marks a turning point in this city's history," said Council Member Chi Ossé. "I'm proud to have worked alongside Mayor Mamdani to create this office, and we will continue to use every lever of power to confront this crisis. For decades, deed theft has gone unchecked, an epidemic that has stolen Black homes, destabilized families, and stripped generational wealth. Today, we are bringing the full force of city government to bear. This victory was won through partnership with the People's Coalition to Stop Deed Theft. Because of this work, we are sending a clear message: New York City will not allow displacement to continue, and for as long as I have power, I will use every last breath to ensure Black Brooklyn is never erased."
"I'm so grateful to Mayor Mamdani for setting up this office and for standing with us in this fight. I also want to thank the Stop Deed Theft Coalition for their years of amplifying the issue and fighting deed theft, including working with me to draft the Deed Theft Protection Package. The deck is stacked against New Yorkers facing deed theft in far too many ways. Together though, we can begin to change that. With the Mayor's new Office of Deed Theft Prevention - designed to tackle the problem from multiple angles - and legislation to make prevention and restorative-justice easier, we can protect our neighborhoods from exploitation," said State Senator Jabari Brisport.
"In Central Brooklyn, specifically Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, deed theft is stripping generational wealth and stability from Black and Brown families. I have worked alongside my colleagues in government, homeowners, advocates, and legal partners to push for stronger protections, accountability, and coordinated action, because our community deserves more than awareness, they deserve results. The creation of the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention is a meaningful step toward aligning resources and strengthening enforcement, and I look forward to continuing this work to ensure homeowners are protected and have a clear path to reclaim and keep what is rightfully theirs," said Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman.
"Two years ago, I led the fight in the state Assembly to make deed theft a crime because no one should lose their home to fraud. I applaud Mayor Mamdani for creating an Office of Deed Theft Prevention that will use the tools we put in place to go after bad actors and protect homeowners and will fight alongside our office to eliminate deed theft in New York State," said Assemblymember Landon Dais.
"Peter White is a brilliant lawyer and advocate whose combined skill, expertise, and deeply rooted respect for and dedication to his community uniquely defines him as a leader. His new appointment as Director of the NYC Department of Deed Fraud Prevention is a testament to his tenure with Access Justice Brooklyn, where he has dedicated over seven years to the preservation of homeownership for Brooklyn families. We take great pride in knowing that Peter will now have the opportunity to bring his talents beyond Brooklyn, serving communities across all five boroughs of New York City," said Lilia Toson, President & CEO, Access Justice Brooklyn.
"NAACP-New York State Conference commends Mayor Mamdani for creating an office dedicated to fighting deed theft. A longstanding, predatory form of fraud, deed theft disproportionately targets Black homeowners, stripping them of a primary source of generational wealth. We cannot continue to treat incidents of deed theft as isolated, civil disputes when they are, in fact, coordinated assaults on the stability of our neighborhoods. This is how Black New Yorkers want to see their elected officials fighting for them. We look forward to working with the office and the administration on protecting vulnerable homeowners," said L. Joy Wiliams, President of the NAACP New York State Conference.
"Deed theft has robbed hard-working Black New Yorkers of their earned wealth for far too long. I commend Mayor Mamdani and his administration for their bold leadership in establishing a dedicated office to combat this injustice in our community. I raised the issue of deed theft with the Mayor during his campaign, and today is proof that he heard us - and is taking the action we need," said Rev. Charles O. Galbreath, Ph.D., Senior Pastor, Alliance Tabernacle Church.
"I applaud Mayor Mamdani on establishing the Office of Deed Theft Prevention. Homes represent legacy, sacrifice, and security for families, especially our elders. Efforts like this help safeguard that legacy and send a clear message that our city stands with those who are most vulnerable to exploitation," said Bishop Orlando Findlayter, New Hope Christian Fellowship.
"For generations, lack of access to homeownership has been one of the primary drivers of the racial wealth gap. As homeownership becomes increasingly inaccessible for all New Yorkers, it's outrageous that deed theft is rising. Black families, especially households led by Black women, lost more wealth in the 2008 foreclosure crisis than any other demographic. Families that managed to buy and keep their homes despite redlining, predatory mortgages and more should not be worried that those homes will be stolen with a falsified deed. Thank you to Mayor Mamdani for working to address this growing crisis in the Black community," said James Inniss of New York Communities for Change.
