Q&A
Council Member Rita Joseph questions agencies on deed theft prevention and recovery
1:21:39
·
3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph engages in a Q&A session with representatives from various city agencies, focusing on deed theft prevention efforts, language access for non-English speakers, and the process of recovering stolen property. She raises concerns about outreach methods, accessibility for older New Yorkers, and the timeline for resolving deed theft cases.
- Joseph emphasizes the importance of reaching out to elected officials and ensuring language accessibility in deed theft prevention efforts.
- She questions the effectiveness of digital-only resources for older New Yorkers and suggests including churches in outreach efforts.
- The discussion reveals that deed theft cases can take over a year to resolve through the court system.
Rita Joseph
1:21:39
Thank you, chair Hudson and chair Menon for this hearing.
1:21:43
The Know Your Right counselor, how do you follow-up and work with elected offices in making sure constituents know that this service exists?
Penney Vachiraprapun
1:21:55
Is I'm sorry.
1:21:55
Is that for HPD or is that for
Rita Joseph
1:21:58
Yeah.
1:21:58
The know your right counselor and the program you're about to roll out.
1:22:02
How are we gonna know to make sure that it's in our newsletters and where are you located so constituents can know about your services?
Jenny Weyel
1:22:10
Thank you so much for that question.
1:22:11
Yes.
1:22:12
We intend to work very closely with elected officials, the office of the homeowner advocate that manages this homeowner help desk program.
1:22:20
You know, as I mentioned previously, we host housing resource fairs on a regular basis and these are typically hosted in partnership both with community based organizations and elected officials.
1:22:32
So, we already have a system in place to work with local elected officials, council members as yourselves, and we collaborate on outreach to make sure that constituents in those districts are aware.
1:22:44
Through the homeowner help desk, we're building on these existing efforts, are expanding those, so we will certainly, partner with with you and your colleagues.
Rita Joseph
1:22:53
You'll be reaching out soon.
1:22:55
How is language access used for deep theft?
1:22:57
For example, in my home, my mom, English was not her first language and we owned a home.
1:23:03
How does language access play a role in that?
1:23:05
How do you support
Jenny Weyel
1:23:06
do education outreach around the issues.
1:23:09
So, the we have this key resource, the homeowner handbook for instance, that is a comprehensive guide for homeowners and, as I mentioned, now also lives on our website.
1:23:21
That is already available in 4 languages and we intend to translate it and make it available in several additional languages now through this expanded program.
1:23:31
We also partner with the local community based organizations that provide services in a range of languages.
1:23:38
And on our webpage, we have a map where homeowners can identify community based organization, legal services provider closest to their home and can also look up
Rita Joseph
1:23:48
But let's say I don't have access.
1:23:49
I'm an older New Yorker.
1:23:50
I don't have access to that technology and we know how technology the technology divide of impacts older New Yorkers and I don't have access to that.
1:23:59
How can I get that resource elsewhere?
Jenny Weyel
1:24:02
Certainly.
1:24:02
Thank you for that question.
1:24:04
We intend to do and are already doing significant in person outreach that can mean pop up events at libraries, senior centers.
Rita Joseph
1:24:16
Churches.
1:24:16
Our older adults are always in churches too.
Jenny Weyel
1:24:19
And we, distribute information in various languages, work with the local partners that have staff that are, able to speak the languages of the communities that, that you and your colleagues represent.
Rita Joseph
1:24:33
The 2 deep theft.
1:24:35
Right?
1:24:35
By the time someone realized that, what's the process?
1:24:37
How long does it take for that person to fight that case and get that property back?
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:24:43
It could it could take over a year.
1:24:48
It really can.
1:24:50
And what because it has to go through the court system.
Rita Joseph
1:24:52
And how how how many we have been able to So
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:24:55
the the judge makes a decision, a ruling on it, you you have to, then you could put the deed back.
1:25:03
They'll do court orders and we have done court orders and we revert the deed back to the original owner.
UNKNOWN
1:25:11
And what
Rita Joseph
1:25:11
was the long cases and how many have that happened and how long was the longest case that you've had?
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:25:16
I don't have that number off hand.
Rita Joseph
1:25:17
And you'll make sure you'll get that back to the council.
1:25:20
Yeah.
1:25:21
Thank you, chairs.
