By Mary Alice Miller

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez hosted a community meeting at Restoration in collaboration with People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft. Two dozen distressed homeowners attended to discuss the theft of their homes.

The event was highly contentious. Homeowners who lost their homes expressed their emotions with tears and anger.
The next day Councilman Chi Osse was arrested 212 Jefferson Avenue during an attempted eviction of Carmella Charrington’s family. Charrington was arrested a few days ago while trying to protect her family home of over 60 years.

The arrest is “the result of deed theft and the ongoing displacement of Black homeowners in Bed-Stuy,” said Osse in a post on X.
At Restoration, DA Gonzalez discussed the Deed Theft Task Force and the newly formed Division of Deed Theft that investigates and prosecutes fraud related to real property, including deed fraud, mortgage fraud, and foreclosure rescue schemes, as well as fraud related to landlord-tenant relationships.

“The reason we are having this meeting is to figure out how we can best protect our communities from these types of issues,” said Gonzalez. “We are going to try to do our best to prosecute cases.”
On several occasions the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft has brought their discontent related to their stolen deeds directly to the district attorney’s building in downtown Brooklyn.

“I never hide from this group. I see you guys. I come out. I talk to you,” said Gonzalez. I’m here to try to work with this community to make sure nobody else goes through what you went through. I am sorry it has happened to you.”
Several homeowners spoke of their experiences trying to get their stolen homes returned to them.
Ashmeen Modikhan passionately spoke about her stolen deed and how she came from Trinidad with the hope of experiencing justice and fairness under the United States legal system.

Samantha Barrows told of her experience with Countrywide.
Rea Lloyd, a victim of convicted former attorney Sanford Solny, said in her case she was told that “the judge’s lawfirm is on the case as a bank.”
Rachel Sciprian cried as she told of how police entered her home to evict her, terrorizing her young daughter. She said she is “asking for a federal investigation” because she no longer has faith in the local legal system.
Warren Johnson said he purchase his home in June 2016 and by November 2016 an unknown LLC was on his deed.
Velda Clarke James told of how she was being systematically targeted with phone taps, drones over her house, disconnection of her gas by people she believes are trying to remove her from her Schenectady Avenue home.

Evangeline Byars from the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft told the group that part of the problem is that various governmental entities that defrauded homeowners go to for remedy operate in distinct silos, whether it is the New York Attorney General’s office, the Sheriff’s Department, the courts, or the district attorney’s office.

DA Gonzalez suggested that the city create a deed theft one stop shop similar to what was created for addressing domestic/intimate partner violence where various government services and non profits exist under one umbrella to serve victims.

“Some people have been in litigation for years. What leads to frustration is a lot of times the civil courts have ruled against them in their litigation,” said Gonzalez. “Many times the statute of limitations has run. They have lost their homes. They have been cheated. It’s not fair. How can someone accept that they had their home stolen? It is such a big loss.”
A new purchaser may buy the house lawfully, not part of the scheme to defraud.

“In some of these cases where they have been successful in going back and showing fraud, the law allows for the judge to take the house deed back from the person who scammed them,” said Gonzalez. “Where we are more successful is when the person who stole the house, transfer it to a shell company or a relative, we can get that house back if it is a proceed of fraud.”

DA Gonzalez said he looks forward to having more meetings with people who are victims of deed theft.
“We are hearing folks. We are acknowledging that this is a huge problem that impacts Black New Yorkers and people of color, but we want to prevent future victims,” said Gonzalez. “A lot of the frustration in the room today of people who lost their homes there is no solution for them because the person who did it got away with it. Of course, they are rightfully angry.”

Gonzalez added, “For me the important part of the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft is to stop deed fraud so that there are not going to be future victims.”
The DA’s office gave a presentation on how to identify deed theft.
Some warning signs of deed theft:

• You receive a property tax bill or water bill addressed to a name that you do not recognize.
  *You stop receiving tax or water bills altogether.
  *Someone appears at your house and claims to own it.
  *You are asked to sign a deed to your home and you were not planning on selling it.
  *You discover a deed or other document recorded in ACRIS against your property and you have no idea how it got there.
  ACRIS is the automated City Register information system where all property transactions are recorded online, including deeds, mortgages, and liens.