Category: New York
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If We’re Not Married, Can I Pass My Co-op Unit to My Partner?
It’s a frequent question in New York City, where owning a co-op apartment is the norm. Of course, co-ops can be found nationwide. What are the rules for bequeathing these units to an unmarried partner? Does the co-op board have to approve the beneficiary when the time comes?
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Another Brooklyn Deed Theft? Isn’t This a Felony Now?
Carmella Charrington of Brooklyn has a disturbing story to tell. And New York City’s News 12 reporters listened. In a state where deed theft is now named as grand larceny under the criminal law, some self-declared “new homeowner” broke into her home earlier this month. Then the stranger tried to evict Charrington. The office of…
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Deed Theft Update: Disbarred Lawyer Jailed in New York
The New York Times reports that Sanford Solny, convicted in June in the Supreme Court of Brooklyn (pictured in banner photo), is now in jail. Solny is a disbarred lawyer and real estate investor charged with stealing New York City homes. He is now in jail for probation violations. “It’s about time,” said Lisa A.,…
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AG James Nails First Criminal Conviction Under NY Home Equity Theft Protection Act
Recently, a New York real estate agent pleaded guilty in a deed theft case. Yes, a real estate agent. Oscar Dais used to be a real estate agent in Rockland County, New York. But no more. Oscar Dais admitted to a property theft that involved falsely signing a deed to his own company, while pretending…
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Loan Shark Takes Deed During Refinance, and the Target Fights Back
A Brooklyn woman recently left her home — and not by choice. Vira Lynn Jones mistakenly signed her deed over to a loan shark a few years back, when trying to refinance. She fought the culprit in court. She’s been fighting for three and a half years. But the court hasn’t backed her up. Now,…
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Opinion: Who Really Wins? New York’s Deed Fraud Bill Protects Title Insurers, Not Homeowners
New York lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 7732 as a response to the growing crisis of deed fraud — a real and rising threat to property owners across the country. On the surface, the bill looks like reform. But a closer look reveals what it really is: a convenient liability shield for title insurers.
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New in New York: Transfer on Death Deeds
In July 2024, the brand-new Transfer on Death Deed Law went into effect in New York State. Residents are now free to create and record a transfer on death deed (also known as the TODD or TOD deed). If you know who you’re leaving your home to, and that person doesn’t already hold rights of…
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Deeds.com Position on Manual (Non-Electronic) Notary Journals in New York and Beyond
In a significant legal change we recently discussed here, the New York State Senate has voted unanimously for its Bill 8663, which amends state law “to limit the recordkeeping and reporting duties of public notaries only to electronic notarization acts.” That is, if the notarization isn’t electronic, a notary need not make or keep any…
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Update: New York Works on Clearer Laws for Remote Notaries
Lawmakers have proposed new legislation impacting the notarization of documents in New York State. Throughout New York, the legal update would make all official notaries’ records electronic only. Here, we offer a FAQ on the current law and the proposed modification.
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Guilty Pleas in Long Island: Heirs Recover Their Stolen Deeds
Two New Yorkers — and one is a former lawyer and a licensed notary — have pleaded guilty to deed fraud charges in New York. The charges involve first-degree scheming to defraud, and additional counts related to forging and filing false documents to take deceased people’s titles in Nassau and Queens. A company run by…
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Deed Theft Crackdown: New York’s on a Roll
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is championing a cause near and dear to our hearts: safe and secure deeds. On the last day of July 2023, the A.G. announced an indictment of a Long Island resident for deed theft. Joseph Makhani faces two counts of criminal possession of stolen property and one count…
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“Deed Theft” Is a Crime, Says New York Legislature
On June 24, 2023, New York’s lawmakers passed a bill to create the crime of deed theft and help New Yorkers hold onto their homes. The state’s Attorney General, Letitia James, has been vocal about the need for new legislation to help keep New Yorkers in their homes. State Sen. Brian Kavanagh and Assembly member…
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New York’s Attorney General Gets Tougher on Deed Thieves
New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced a new package of legislation to create the specific crime of “deed theft.” Deed theft occurs when someone conveys a property deed to another party without the informed consent of the rightful owner. The new law against it is meant to bolster the remedies available under New…
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Amid New York City’s Rampant Deed Theft, One Victim Wins
Brooklyn property values are going up. And there are plenty of opportunists looking to steal deeds. In the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn in New York City, Dairus Griffiths just triumphed over those opportunists. In the past decade, Brooklyn has lost many of its Black and Hispanic residents, as gentrification reshapes the district. Serial fraudsters and…
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Start Spreading the News: Blockchain Deed Recording Comes to New York City
New York City’s Department of Finance is trying out blockchain. Can the technology make recording and keeping deeds a better process? The test run, handled by Medici Land Governance (MLG), will find out whether the method will work in a massive city, the company stated in August 2021. MLG is owned by Overstock.com — an…
