PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joan Erskine, Board Member of Brooklyn Level Up
0:42:30
ยท
162 sec
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 emphasizes the importance of informing property owners about tax exemptions, ACRIS, and potential risks from real estate scammers.
- Supports Intro 782-A for better communication about property tax exemptions and ACRIS
- Endorses Intro 783 for recording tax liens over $5,000 in ACRIS
- Advocates for Intro 889 to protect older property owners from suspicious real estate activities
- Stresses the need for frequent and diverse methods of notification to ensure property owners receive critical information
Joan Erskine
0:42:30
How's that?
0:42:32
Good morning, Flatbush and Flatlands.
0:42:49
These are neighborhoods where the majority of homeowners are people of color.
0:42:53
These are neighborhoods where people of color broke the barriers to their homeownership in the 19 seventies.
0:42:59
And these are neighborhoods where the tax lien sale has a disproportionate impact.
0:43:04
Brooklyn Level Up is a member of the Abolish the Tax Lien Sale Coalition.
0:43:08
I'm here today to urge you to pass all of the measures before you because, as the saying goes, knowledge is power.
0:43:15
Each of these measures is about reaching out to property owners and to the case and in the case of Councilman Hudson's per measure, to the property owner's council member and making sure that they have the information and the tools they need to avoid, address, and resolve debts to the city, surely the goal of the city as well.
0:43:35
With regard to 7 intro 782 of 2024, thank you, council member nurse, for doing the work of researching and crafting this.
0:43:44
There is little point to having exemptions to property taxes if the people who we who qualify for those exemptions don't know about them.
0:43:52
Likewise, ACRIS is a powerful tool for the property owners, but, again, only if they know about it and know how to use it.
0:43:59
With regard to 783, again, thank you, council member nurse.
0:44:04
Requiring liens over $5,000 to be recorded serves to inform property owners of the extent of the encumbrance on their title and can spur them to seek help in clearing it.
0:44:15
With regard to 889, thank you, councilman council member Hudson.
0:44:20
Older property owners are at risk of real estate scammers and sharks as the record has amply demonstrated.
0:44:26
They deserve the attention of their council member if there is suspicious activity around their d.
0:44:32
With regard to
Justin Brannan
0:44:34
Just conclude.
0:44:36
Just wrap it up.
Joan Erskine
0:44:37
Okay.
0:44:40
Finally, with regard to again, with, it's all about notice.
0:44:46
Knowledge is power.
0:44:47
We need to give the people the knowledge they need.
0:44:50
I just wanna say, with regard to the methods of of and frequency of notice, I used to own a business and it came to my sad attention that you cannot find enough ways to advertise.
0:45:02
You cannot find enough time to advertise.
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You have to find many ways.
0:45:07
You have to do it over and over again, or you will not get noticed.
0:45:11
Thank you for your time.