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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Albert Scott, Chairman of East New York Homeowners Association, on Tax Lien Sales
0:07:34
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4 min
Albert Scott, a lifelong East New York resident and chairman of the East New York Homeowners Association, testified about the negative impacts of the tax lien sale system on his community. He emphasized that East New York had the most residential properties on the tax lien sale in New York City and described the system as economically brutalizing the predominantly black and Latino working-class community.
- Provided specific examples of properties with significant municipal debts and violations, demonstrating the failure of the current system to hold bad landlords accountable
- Criticized the task force for not adequately examining alternatives to the lien sale as mandated by Local Law 80
- Called for the task force to consider successful debt collection models from other large cities that don't use lien sales
- Quoted Mayor Adams' campaign promise to replace the lien sale with more just and effective debt collection methods
Albert Scott
0:07:34
Excuse me.
0:07:34
This this corner it's not meant for big people.
0:07:45
Good morning, task force members.
0:07:47
My name is Albert Scott, and I am a lifelong East New York resident and a founding member of the East New York Community Land Trust.
0:07:55
I am also the chairman of the East New York Homeowners Association.
0:07:59
East New York had the most residential properties on, the tax lien sale than any other neighborhood in New York City.
0:08:08
Our black, Latino, working class community of homeowners and tenants is being economically and brutalized economically brutalized by this lien sale.
0:08:19
We have knocked on hundreds of doors in our community our community talking to homeowners and tenants about their rights and options as it pertains to this destructive lien sale system.
0:08:31
What we are seeing and hearing is very disturbing.
0:08:35
Just one or two quick example.
0:08:38
One, in East New York, 2 2 family home on Hendrick Street has a corporate owner and is fully occupied by tenants.
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The corporate owner owes $226,000 in municipal charges.
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79,000 of which are emergency repair program charges and the property has a 20 HPD violations.
0:09:03
Let that resonate.
0:09:06
In addition, another one, a two family property home, a few door down on the same block on Hendrick Street.
0:09:13
What we see here, the corporate owner owes 54,000 to the city in property taxes and water bills and there are approximately a 27 open violations and tenants are living with leaks, molds, roaches, mice, and what other type of vermin with more than 19 legs, who knows.
0:09:31
These two properties have two different owners but are but are on just one single block in East New York.
0:09:39
There are so many stories like this across the entire city yet when it comes to properties like this, the city sells the liens and gives away its rights, its responsibilities to hold bad landlords accountable and transfer them to responsible ownership.
0:09:57
Not only that, but even with the reforms that have been implemented to give homeowners options, what we're seeing, homeowners are still struggling and less than 200 easy exit applications have been filled and accepted across the city.
0:10:11
Real quickly, we are calling on the task for to follow its mandate under local law 80 to examine alternatives to this lien sale.
0:10:20
So far based on preliminary recommendations, you all have failed in your obligation.
0:10:26
Other large cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco collect their debts successfully without a lien sale.
0:10:34
New York City can too.
0:10:36
Isn't New York City recognized as the capitalist wonder of the world?
0:10:40
Mhmm.
0:10:40
That's right.
0:10:40
Sometimes I wonder.
0:10:42
And then in addition to that, the mayor, in his own words, stated that the campaign on his campaign and handling platform, there's enough evidence that the annual lien sale has not been a just or an effective debt collection program.
0:10:59
A real recovery is not balanced on the backs of the generational wealth in black and brown communities.
0:11:06
Our focus should be on reinvesting historically marginalized communities, and there are a number of promising models we will consider to replace the lean sale and do just that.
0:11:20
That's mayor Adams.
0:11:22
mister accountable.
0:11:24
And in closing real quick real quickly.
0:11:27
The lean sale task force, do your job.
0:11:31
Stop the sale that steals and robs.
Alec Schierenbeck
0:11:22
Thank you,
Sandy Nurse
0:11:26
Very quickly.