NYLAG’s Noelle Eberts, supervising attorney in the Foreclosure Prevention Project of our Consumer Protection Unit, testified to the New York State Senate Committee on Housing, Construction & Community Development about the prevalence and impact of deed theft and real estate scams on New Yorkers, advocating for expanded services to help victims assert their rights. NYLAG’s Foreclosure Prevention Project helps New York homeowners, coop owners, and condo owners avert homelessness and displacement by preventing avoidable foreclosures, combating mortgage fraud, deed theft, and challenging predatory and discriminatory lending and abusive mortgage servicing practices that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities–seniors and people of color. Below is an excerpt from Noelle’s testimony:
“The complexity of the relief and homeowner’s desperation to resolve their mortgage delinquency make them particularly vulnerable to deed theft and other real estate scams. Overwhelmed and confused, homeowners are easy targets for fast-talking, experienced scammers full of false promises and misinformation. For this reason, community education is an essential part of our work and an area ripe for additional resources. Homeowners who understand the basic rights and obligations associated with homeownership are far less likely to be scammed.”
