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October 2021
12
Know Your Rights
Attorney General James Fights to Keep New Yorkers in their Homes
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EW YORK: New York At‐ torney General Letitia James recently took ac‐ tion to protect the homes of hundreds, if not thousands, of New Yorkers. In a letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Attorney General James calls on the City of New York to post‐ pone its water and tax lien sale — which could force many New Yorkers out of their homes be‐ cause of an unpaid water or tax debt — until the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pan‐ demic is over, or at least until federal funds allocated already to prevent foreclosures have been dispersed. “New Yorkers must be given the chance to recover from the COVID‐19 pandemic without being forcibly removed from their homes,” said Attorney General James. “New York City should be more attuned to the precarious state of New York‐ ers’ budgets as the pandemic continues to bear down on its residents. Putting homeowners
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in a position where their homes are like to be foreclosed upon in the midst of the pandemic is wrong and short‐sighted given that federal funding will be re‐ leased in the coming weeks or months to prevent foreclosures. This public health crisis has ex‐ acerbated the impact of lien sales on our vulnerable com‐ munities, and we must do all we can to allow them time to apply for federal funding, while also supplying them with the re‐ sources to help them recover. That’s why this water and tax lien sale must be delayed. Now
is the time for New York City to look ahead and come up with something more than a short‐ term fix for the tax lien sale. It’s time to create a better and more just system for New York‐ ers.” Though federal funding for homeowners to avoid foreclo‐ sure is impending, the City of New York plans to move for‐ ward with the water and tax lien sale in December. As the city works to quickly remove New Yorkers from their homes, this program will offer hun‐ dreds of millions of dollars in homeowner relief in New York and will undoubtedly save the homes of hundreds, if not thou‐ sands, of New Yorkers. In today’s letter, Attorney General James requests that any lien sale is delayed until these fed‐ eral funds are fully disbursed. Additionally, the city’s efforts to remove New Yorkers from their homes is being made de‐ spite the fact that 90‐day no‐ tices sent out last month from
the city did not include a copy of the hardship declaration that would allow exemptions for people who have experienced economic hardship related to COVID‐19. Further, there have been no in‐person outreach events that would allow for New Yorkers to ask questions and obtain resources that could help them be removed from the lien sale. Attorney General James re‐ quests that the city hold until the COVID‐19 pandemic has passed, or at least until federal funds allocated already to pre‐ vent foreclosures have been distributed. In the past, Attorney General James has repeatedly advocated for reform to the lien sale pro‐ gram to remedy its effects on New York’s most vulnerable communities and help stabilize neighborhoods across the city. In December 2020, Attorney General James sent a letter to Mayor de Blasio and City Coun‐ cil Speaker Cory Johnson urging
New York City to utilize commu‐ nity land trusts and land banks for delinquent properties, in an effort to ensure residents could stay in their homes. In August 2020, Attorney Gen‐ eral James — joined by 57 local, state, and federal officials — urged the delay of the city’s an‐ nual tax and water lien sale. Four days later, the former gov‐ ernor temporarily halted the sale with an executive order. Get Assistance Don’t become a victim of this an‐ tiquated system. If you are a ten‐ ant or a homeowner who may be affected by the upcoming lien sale scheduled for December of 2021, do not wait until the last minute to seek assistance. Schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney, such as Brian Figeroux of Figer‐ oux and Associates, to find out what could be done, if anything, before you lose your home. Call 888‐670‐6791.t
