New York City handles deed theft differently from almost anywhere else in the country. It has its own recording office, a free alert system, a Sheriff who investigates deed fraud, and since April 2026, a city office just for deed theft. This guide covers what each one does for you. For how deed theft works in general, read our deed theft guide.
Why is deed theft in Brooklyn and Queens so common?
Deed theft in Brooklyn and Queens makes up most of the city's complaints, and thieves there go after the same kinds of homes again and again. The mayor's order that created the city's deed theft office says complaints are "concentrated primarily in Brooklyn and Queens."
Brooklyn and Queens filed about 7 in 10 NYC deed theft complaints
Deed theft complaints to the NYC Sheriff, 2014 to April 2023
Show the numbers
| Brooklyn | 1,500+ |
|---|---|
| Queens | 1,000 |
| Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island | <1,000 |
Source: New York Attorney General, April 27, 2023, citing the NYC Sheriff's Office: "nearly 3,500 complaints," with "more than 1,500 complaints in Brooklyn and 1,000 from Queens." The last bar is our math (3,500 minus 2,500). We found no official borough count for later years.
Thieves target certain homes. New York's Attorney General says criminals "primarily target" empty homes and homes in foreclosure. They also go after homes with tax or utility liens, and homes where the owner died and the heirs never moved the title. Seniors, immigrants and people of color are targeted most. Our guide to home title theft explains the schemes.
Recent Brooklyn cases named by prosecutors involved homes in Bedford-Stuyvesant, East Flatbush, Canarsie, East New York, Ocean Hill and Fort Greene. In Queens, a ring stole homes in Jamaica and St. Albans.
Does NYC tell you when someone records a deed on your home?
Yes, in two ways. The city mails owners, and anyone can sign up for free email or text alerts. The Department of Finance (DOF) runs both through the Office of the City Register, which records deeds for Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.
A letter from the city
DOF's 2026 deed theft brochure says: "Open mail from the Department of Finance. We will tell you when someone records a document on your property." Keep your mailing address current at nyc.gov/changemailingaddress.
Free ACRIS alerts
The Notice of Recorded Document program emails or texts you when a deed, mortgage or related document is recorded on your lot. Notices "usually" go out the day after.
A deed is the paper that moves a home to a new owner. ACRIS is the city's online record of those papers. The alert program has no fee for email or mail notices, though your phone carrier may charge for texts.
Many people can sign up for the same home. The form lets the owner, a child or spouse, the owner's lawyer, a managing agent, a lender, or the executor of an estate register. If you help an older parent, sign up for their home with your own email.
How do I sign up for NYC's free ACRIS alerts?
Go to the city's Notice of Recorded Document page, find your property by address or lot number, and enter your contact details. No account or password is needed.
- Open the sign-up page. Go to a836-acrissds.nyc.gov/NRD and choose "Receive Notification."
- Find your property. Enter your borough, house number and street, then click "Find BBL." Or enter your borough, block and lot (BBL) and click "Find Address." Condo owners must add the unit number.
- Say how you're connected. Enter your name and pick your "interest in property," such as "Property Owner/Agent (incl. Child/Spouse of Owner)" or "Executors/Administrators of the Estate."
- Add your address and phone. Both are required.
- Choose email or text. For email, type it twice. For text, type your number plus your carrier's text address. The page gives examples for Verizon and AT&T.
- Check the box and submit. You agree your details are true. A false statement voids the sign-up.
- Watch for the confirmation email. It should arrive within 15 minutes. Add acrisnrd@finance.nyc.gov to your safe senders. If it doesn't come, check your junk folder, then call 311.
- Property
- Address, or borough + block + lot
- You
- Name, interest in the property, mailing address, phone
- Alerts by
- Email or text (one per sign-up)
- Cost
- Free
- Lasts
- Until you choose "Delete Notification"
Prefer paper? Call 311 for the "Notice by Mail of Recorded Document" form. The form and its FAQ also come in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Urdu. Sign up each property you own separately.
How do I check ACRIS to see if my deed was stolen?
Search your property on ACRIS and make sure the newest deed still names you. Start at nyc.gov/acris. You can search by address or by borough, block and lot. Looking is free.
The city says to check "at least once a year to make sure that no deeds or mortgages have been recorded" that you don't know about. Also watch your bills. The Brooklyn District Attorney says to call DOF if your property tax bills stop, and the Department of Environmental Protection if your water bills stop. Our list of warning signs of home title theft covers the rest.
Who do I call about deed theft in NYC?
Report through the city's deed theft intake form first, then call the District Attorney for your borough or the state Attorney General. You can contact more than one. Call the NYPD right away for a break-in, threats or violence.
| Who | Covers | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention | All five boroughs | Online intake form (no phone listed) |
| NYC Sheriff, Bureau of Criminal Investigation | All five boroughs | 718-707-2100 or the online complaint form |
| Brooklyn DA Action Center | Brooklyn | 718-250-2340, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Queens DA Housing and Worker Protection Bureau | Queens | 718-286-6673 or HousingWorkerProtection@queensda.org |
| Manhattan, Bronx or Staten Island DA | That borough | The DA's office in the borough where the home is |
| New York Attorney General | All of New York State | 1-800-771-7755 or deedtheft@ag.ny.gov |
| Homeowner Protection Program (free lawyers) | All of New York State | 855-466-3456 (855-HOME-456) |
Phone numbers come from each office's own website, checked October 13, 2026. For city record questions, call 311, or 212-639-9675 from outside NYC.
What does the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention do?
The Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention takes deed theft reports, helps victims fix their records, and leads the city's prevention work. Mayor Zohran Mamdani created it inside DOF with Executive Order 16 on April 24, 2026. Its first director is Peter White, a longtime homeowner lawyer who came from Access Justice Brooklyn.
The order gives the office a Deed Theft Prevention Advocate. The advocate helps people through the reporting process. After a theft, the advocate helps victims correct records with the City Register and the Richmond County Clerk, and with related property tax relief. The office must also grow sign-ups for deed alerts and run outreach in all five boroughs.
"No family should have to face losing a home over a relatively small debt."
That pause matters because unpaid water, sewer or tax bills can be sold as liens, and homes with liens draw scammers.
Is deed theft a crime in New York?
Yes. Since July 19, 2024, deed theft is a form of grand larceny in New York, no matter what the home is worth. Before then, as the Attorney General notes, "deed theft itself was not a crime." Prosecutors had to use other charges, such as scheme to defraud or filing a false paper.
New York changed its deed theft rules three times in three years
Key dates for NYC homeowners
- Nov. 14, 2023Court protections signed. Prosecutors can pause eviction and ownership cases during an investigation and flag the property for buyers and lenders. In effect December 2023.
- July 19, 2024Deed theft becomes a felony. The Attorney General can also prosecute it, alongside the DAs.
- April 24, 2026City deed theft office created by Executive Order 16, inside the Department of Finance.
Sources: NY State Senate, Nov. 14, 2023; NY Attorney General, July 19, 2024; NYC Executive Order 16.
| Charge | What was stolen | Maximum prison term |
|---|---|---|
| Class B felony | A home someone lives in, a home owned by an elderly or disabled person, or 3 or more homes | 25 years |
| Class C felony | One home, one mixed-use building with an apartment, or 2 or more commercial properties | 15 years |
| Class D felony | One commercial property | 7 years |
Sources: Penal Law § 155.42 and § 155.40, and § 70.00 for the maximum terms. A judge sets the actual sentence.
Prosecutors have more time, too. They can bring charges up to five years after the theft, or two years after the owner finds out, whichever is later.
How do NYC homeowners get a stolen home back?
Report fast, get a free lawyer, and let the criminal case work for you. After a conviction, the DA or Attorney General can ask a judge to declare the fake deed void "from the start." New York law presumes it is void unless someone proves otherwise.
- Report it. Use the city intake form and call your borough's DA or the Attorney General (table above).
- Get a certified copy of the fake deed. Order it through ACRIS or a City Register office. Staten Island owners go to the Richmond County Clerk.
- Call the Homeowner Protection Program. It connects New Yorkers with free housing lawyers at 855-466-3456.
- Ask the judge to pause any eviction. Is someone trying to evict you in housing court? The Attorney General says you can ask the judge for a 90-day pause. That gives you time to fight the ownership question in the right court.
- Use the court route if needed. A quiet title case is a lawsuit that asks a judge to say who owns the home. If someone in the deal was convicted of deed theft on that home, the court presumes the transfer was fraud.
Afterward, the city's advocate can help you clean up your records and any property tax problems the theft caused.
How can I prevent deed theft in NYC?
Sign up for ACRIS alerts, read your DOF mail, and never sign over your deed to someone who promises to "save" your home. The Attorney General says, "Legitimate organizations will not ask you to transfer your property rights." The Solny case started exactly that way.
Two more steps help families. New York now allows a transfer-on-death deed, which names who gets the home without a will, so heirs aren't left with an old owner's name on the deed. And our guide to protecting your home title for free adds steps like a credit freeze.
Frequently asked questions
Who is committing deed theft in NYC?
Court cases show a mix: organized rings that use fake IDs to pose as owners, people who forge a single deed, and trusted professionals. In Brooklyn, a disbarred lawyer was convicted of taking 11 properties from owners he promised to help. The Attorney General says scammers often target seniors, immigrants and people of color.
Are deeds public record in New York?
Yes. In Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, you can search deeds and mortgages free on ACRIS. Staten Island records are searchable on the Richmond County Clerk's website. Because anyone can see them, check your own record at least once a year.
Does putting your house in a trust protect it from deed theft?
Not on its own. A trust changes whose name is on the deed, but a criminal can still forge a trustee's signature. In NYC, the ACRIS alerts follow the property, not the owner's name, so a home in a trust can still be signed up.
What happens if someone steals the deed to your house?
The thief may try to sell the home, borrow against it, rent it out or evict you. A forged deed doesn't erase your rights. In New York, prosecutors can pause eviction and ownership cases while they investigate, and after a conviction a judge can declare the fake deed void.
Where do I file a deed theft complaint in NYC?
Use the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention intake form on nyc.gov. You can also call the NYC Sheriff at 718-707-2100, your borough's District Attorney, or the Attorney General at 1-800-771-7755. Keep copies of any papers and any report numbers.
Should co-op owners sign up for ACRIS alerts?
Usually not. A co-op unit has no block and lot of its own in city records, so an alert would cover the whole building. DOF does not recommend it, because you would get many notices that have nothing to do with you. Ask your co-op board how it watches the building's records.
Sign up for NYC's free alerts today
It takes a few minutes on the city's Notice of Recorded Document page. Then see whether a recorded notice makes sense for your home.
Sign up for ACRIS alertsSee how Still My Home worksSources
- Executive Order No. 16: Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention, NYC Office of the Mayor, April 24, 2026
- Attorney General James takes action to protect New Yorkers' homes and combat deed theft, New York State Office of the Attorney General, April 27, 2023
- Deed theft, New York State Office of the Attorney General, checked October 13, 2026
- Attorney General James announces conviction of leader of Queens deed theft ring, New York State Office of the Attorney General, July 12, 2024
- Disbarred attorney sentenced to up to seven years in prison for stealing deeds of 11 Brooklyn properties, Kings County District Attorney's Office, November 12, 2025
- Deed theft brochure, NYC Department of Finance, 2026
- Notice of Recorded Document: program FAQ, NYC Department of Finance, checked October 13, 2026
- ACRIS Notice of Recorded Document (sign-up form), NYC Department of Finance, checked October 13, 2026
- Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention, NYC Department of Finance, checked October 13, 2026
- Block and lot search, Richmond County Clerk, checked October 13, 2026
- Deed fraud information and resources, Kings County District Attorney's Office, checked October 13, 2026
- Long Island man arraigned on indictment charging him with stealing $2 million house in Fort Greene, Kings County District Attorney's Office, February 19, 2025
- Sheriff: tax evasion and deed fraud, NYC Department of Finance, checked October 13, 2026
- Investigations: Housing and Worker Protection Bureau, Queens County District Attorney's Office, checked October 13, 2026
- Mamdani unveils new office to combat deed theft, protect homeowners, NY1, April 24, 2026
- Mamdani creates deed theft office and pauses tax lien sales, amNY, April 24, 2026
- Attorney General James announces new protections against deed theft, New York State Office of the Attorney General, July 19, 2024
- Governor Hochul signs legislation to protect New York homeowners from deed theft, NY State Senate (Sen. Brian Kavanagh), November 14, 2023
- Penal Law § 155.42, grand larceny in the first degree, and § 70.00, sentence of imprisonment for felony, NY State Senate, checked October 13, 2026
- Criminal Procedure Law § 420.45, motion relating to instruments affecting residential real property, NY State Senate, checked October 13, 2026