New Legislation Passed to Prevent Deed Thefts

by Mindy Cohn

New legislation aimed at safeguarding New York homeowners from deed theft passed last week. 

Deed theft can happen when the thief forges the owner's signature on a deed and files it with the county clerk or when the owner is fooled into unintentionally signing the deed over to someone without intending to.

The new legislation enables prosecutors to invalidate fraudulent sales and loan documents while at the same allowing the attorney general and local district attorneys to put a hold on related eviction and ownership dispute proceedings when it comes to suspect deeds.