Q&A
Impact of new state law and challenges in rejecting fraudulent documents
1:04:27
·
114 sec
The City Register discusses the impact of a new state law making deed theft a felony and explains the challenges faced by the City Register's office in rejecting fraudulent documents due to legal constraints.
- A 2023 state law made deed theft a felony, which is seen as a step in the right direction
- The City Register's office is bound by state law to accept documents that are in recordable order, even if they suspect fraud
- They sometimes reject documents, but perpetrators who know the law can challenge rejections through legal means
- The City Register expresses frustration with their limited ability to prevent fraudulent deed transfers due to these legal constraints
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:04:27
I'm not taking it personal.
1:04:29
Okay.
1:04:29
You know, if it's your problem, it's my problem too.
1:04:32
Good.
1:04:33
Right?
1:04:33
So, so new state law can be changed.
1:04:42
A a lot of it is we have antiquated laws.
1:04:45
Mhmm.
1:04:46
And we need to look into seeing if we can change those laws.
1:04:50
Like I said earlier, when, a person stole a purse piece of property, nothing happened to them
UNKNOWN
1:04:58
Mhmm.
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:04:58
That they were able to come back and try to do it again.
1:05:02
So for my
Chi A. Ossé
1:05:04
Which specific law?
1:05:06
Which specific law?
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:05:07
I don't know the exact law.
1:05:10
It was 2023, and it was a state law where, they made deed theft of felony.
Chi A. Ossé
1:05:16
Okay.
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:05:18
So I don't know the exact
Chi A. Ossé
1:05:22
That was the attorney general.
1:05:23
But Yeah.
1:05:24
Is that the law that's holding is it is it actively holding these individuals accountable?
1:05:28
Okay.
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:05:28
Yes.
1:05:28
Definitely holding them so that's one step Sure.
1:05:31
Closer to where we wanna be.
1:05:33
Right?
1:05:34
So, if we actually, you know, start doing that, I could see see, because what I what I want you guys to understand when it comes to the city register, our hands are tied.
1:05:47
Okay.
1:05:48
You know what I'm saying?
1:05:49
Because we have to follow state law.
1:05:51
And they're telling us if everything that is required for a specific document is correct Mhmm.
1:05:57
Then we have to take it.
Chi A. Ossé
1:05:58
Mhmm.
Colette McCain-Jacques
1:05:58
And some and sometimes we reject it reject it and the the person will keep coming back.
1:06:04
Mhmm.
1:06:05
And then because they know the law and they know that we have to accept that document because it's in recordable order, they will go to our legal and New York's New York City legal and they'll do a auto coup 78 to sue us, and we have to put that document on.
Carlos Ortiz
1:06:21
Sure.
