Office will coordinate a whole-of-government approach to protect vulnerable homeowners
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.”
