New York City Council
Committee on Finance
Jan 14, 2025
·
10:00 AM
1 hr 7 min
Summary
A hearing on several bills related to property tax administration and preventing deed theft.
Discussions focused on:
- Improving outreach about tax exemptions
- Recording tax liens in ACRIS
- Notifying council members of property recordings for long-held properties
- Alerting interested parties of property recordings
Features testimony from the Department of Finance (DOF) and the public.
Meeting chapters
Read summaries and watch videos for short segments that matter to you.
Council Member Justin Brannan opens Finance Committee hearing on property records and taxes
Council Member Justin Brannan, chair of the Finance Committee, opens a hearing on bills and a resolution related to the Department of Finance's administration of real property records and taxes. …
0:00:19
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158 sec
Council Member Sandy Nurse explains proposed bills to help homeowners with property tax issues
Council Member Sandy Nurse presents three pieces of legislation aimed at helping homeowners avoid property tax debt and the tax lien sale. She explains how these bills will improve notification …
0:02:59
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113 sec
Council Member Hudson introduces bill to combat deed theft
Council Member Crystal Hudson introduces a bill requiring the Department of Finance to notify local council members when deed or mortgage-related documents are recorded for properties held by the same …
0:05:22
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83 sec
Introduction and context for Department of Finance testimony
Annette Hill, Deputy Commissioner for Customer Operations at the New York City Department of Finance, introduces herself and sets the context for her testimony on several pieces of legislation related …
0:07:57
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24 sec
Overview of Intro 782-A: Property tax exemption information requirements
Annette Hill outlines the requirements of Intro 782-A, sponsored by Council Member Ners, which aims to improve communication about property tax exemptions and property-related notifications. - Requires DOF to include …
0:08:22
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48 sec
Current practices for notifying property owners
Annette Hill explains the Department of Finance's current practices for notifying property owners about property values, tax bills, and exemptions. - Sends notices of property values and anticipated tax bills …
0:09:11
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69 sec
Analysis of Intro 783: Recording tax liens in ACRIS
Annette Hill discusses Intro 783, sponsored by Council Member Nurse, which would require the Department of Finance to record liens in ACRIS for properties with significant debt. The department does …
0:10:21
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88 sec
Overview of Intro 889: Notifying council members of property recordings
Annette Hill explains Intro 889, sponsored by Council Member Hudson, which aims to improve notifications about property recordings to prevent deed theft and fraud. - Requires DOF to notify council …
0:11:51
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40 sec
Support for Intro 1086: Notifying interested parties of property recordings
Annette Hill discusses Intro 1086, sponsored by Council Member Williams, which requires the Department of Finance to notify interested parties of property recordings within 30 days. - Bill mandates notification …
0:12:32
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18 sec
Conclusion and openness to questions
Annette Hill concludes her testimony by summarizing the Department of Finance's stance on the proposed legislation and expressing willingness to collaborate further. - Emphasizes the importance of the services addressed …
0:12:51
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15 sec
Council Member Williams advocates for Intro 1086 to protect homeowners from title clouding
Council Member Nantasha M. Williams presents and advocates for Intro 1086, a bill designed to address the issue of title clouding and protect homeowners from fraud and property loss. The …
0:13:14
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3 min
Department of Finance's outreach efforts for property tax breaks
Council Member Justin Brannan inquires about the Department of Finance's efforts to inform residential property owners about available tax breaks. Jacob Capistran, representing the DOF, provides a comprehensive overview of …
0:16:23
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86 sec
Data on tax break eligibility and enrollment
Council Member Brannan asks about available data comparing the number of taxpayers eligible for tax breaks versus those actually enrolled. Jacob Capistran provides information on DOF's efforts to determine eligibility …
0:17:50
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49 sec
Goals and current status of tax break enrollment
Council Member Brannan inquires about specific goals for enrollment in tax break programs. Jacob Capistran provides current enrollment numbers and discusses DOF's outreach efforts. - Current enrollment numbers: SCRIE has …
0:18:39
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97 sec
Handling of late applications for tax breaks
Council Member Brannan inquires about the process for handling tax break applications submitted after the deadline. Jacob Capistran provides information on the application timeline and processing of late submissions. - …
0:20:18
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64 sec
Council Member Hudson questions DOF on property title notifications and fraud detection
Council Member Crystal Hudson inquires about the Department of Finance's processes for notifying property owners of title changes and detecting potentially fraudulent activities. DOF representatives explain their notification system through …
0:21:23
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3 min
Council Member Sandy Nurse questions DOF on tax exemption outreach efforts
Council Member Sandy Nurse engages in a Q&A session with Jacob Capistran from the NYC Department of Finance regarding their outreach efforts for tax exemptions. Nurse emphasizes the importance of …
0:25:11
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120 sec
Council members question Department of Finance on document review and outreach effectiveness
Council Members Nantasha M. Williams and Justin Brannan engage in a Q&A session with Department of Finance officials, focusing on document review processes, fraud detection, and the effectiveness of outreach …
0:28:11
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3 min
Testimony by Paula Segal, Senior Staff Attorney at TakeRoot Justice
Paula Segal, representing TakeRoot Justice and the Abolish the Tax Lien Sale Coalition, testified about the need to reform the city's tax lien sale process. She emphasized the importance of …
0:33:31
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142 sec
Testimony by Tamara del Carmen, Director of Foreclosure Program at Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, on Title Clouding and Deed Theft Prevention
Tamara del Carmen, representing Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, testified in support of Intro 1086 and other bills aimed at preventing title clouding and deed theft. She emphasized the importance …
0:36:18
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115 sec
Testimony by Sunny Jo, Attorney at Legal Aid Society
Sunny Jo, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, testified on several proposed bills related to property tax exemptions, recording of tax liens, and protection against deed theft. She highlighted …
0:38:22
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3 min
Testimony by Joan Erskine, Board Member of Brooklyn Level Up
Joan Erskine, representing Brooklyn Level Up and the Abolish the Tax Lien Sale Coalition, urges the council to pass all proposed measures to improve property owner outreach and protection. She …
0:42:30
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162 sec
Testimony by Tobias Campbell, Member of East New York Community Land Trust
Tobias Campbell, representing the East New York Community Land Trust and the Abolish the Tax Lien Sale Coalition, advocated for the abolition of New York City's tax lien sale system. …
0:45:21
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127 sec
Testimony by Hannah Anousheh, Campaigns Director of East New York Community Land Trust, on Tax Lien Sale and Property Protection Bills
Hannah Anousheh, representing the East New York Community Land Trust, testified in support of several bills aimed at improving the Department of Finance's processes and protecting homeowners. She emphasized the …
0:47:30
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167 sec
Testimony by John Krinsky, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at City College of New York and CUNY Grad Center, on NYC Tax Lien Sale Policy
John Krinsky, a professor from City College of New York and CUNY Grad Center, testified on the history and negative impacts of NYC's tax lien sale policy. He urged the …
0:54:12
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138 sec
Testimony by Pamela Herrera, Land Justice Coordinator of Western Queens Community Land Trust
Pamela Herrera, representing Western Queens Community Land Trust and the Abolish the Tax Lien Sale Coalition, testified about the importance of preserving homeownership and promoting racial equity. She shared observations …
0:56:36
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127 sec
Testimony by Will Spisak, Senior Program Associate at New Economy Project
Will Spisak, representing New Economy Project and the Abolish the Tax Lien Sale Coalition, expressed strong support for the proposed bills and resolution to improve property tax administration and protect …
0:58:50
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113 sec
Testimony by Lacey Tauber, Representative from Brooklyn Borough President's Office on Property Tax Exemptions and Deed Theft Prevention
Lacey Tauber, representing Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, testified in support of several bills aimed at preventing deed theft and improving outreach to homeowners about property tax exemptions. She emphasized …
1:00:52
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134 sec
Testimony by Christopher Leon Johnson, Member of the Public
Christopher Leon Johnson testifies in support of bills introduced by Council Member Sandy Nurse to protect small business owners and improve education and outreach on property taxes. He also advocates …
1:03:19
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126 sec
Testimony by Alexis Foote, Founder of ReAL Edgemere Community Land Trust on Tax Lien Sale Impact
Alexis Foote, founder of ReAL Edgemere Community Land Trust, testifies about the devastating impact of the tax lien sale on homeowners in Far Rockaway, particularly those still recovering from Hurricane …
1:05:52
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83 sec