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Q: Can I reclaim a property in New York sold for back taxes if the buyer hasn't transferred ownership?
In 2021, I sold a property in New York for back taxes owed. The buyer and I have a document stating I sold it to her for the taxes. Since then, she has paid only $400 in taxes, and the property remains in my name. We did not have a written agreement for ownership transfer, just the document... View More 
Thomas Anthony Sirianni
answered on Aug 28, 2026
answered on Aug 28, 2026
I am a New York real estate attorney with 27 years of practice on Long Island.
Here is the direct answer: you never lost the property. If no deed was ever signed and recorded, the property is still yours as a matter of record title, and it has been the whole time. What you have is not a... View More
Q: Was my East Village apartment unlawfully deregulated in NY?
I'm a tenant in the East Village, New York, and I believe my apartment might have been unlawfully deregulated. According to DHCR records, it was registered as rent-stabilized through 2010 at a legal rent of $1,587.69, but there are no registrations from 2011 to 2024. The building has never... View More
Thomas Anthony Sirianni
answered on Aug 28, 2026
answered on Aug 28, 2026
I am a New York landlord-tenant and real estate attorney with 27 years of practice on Long Island.
Yes, this is worth pursuing, and on the facts you describe it is more than a long shot. In New York the landlord bears the burden of proving that an apartment was lawfully deregulated. A unit... View More
Q: Why is a TP 584 form required for my NY home equity loan?
I am taking out a home equity loan through Home Tap, and I've been told that I need to fill out a TP 584 form as it is required in New York. I would like to understand more about why this form is needed in my situation.
Thomas Anthony Sirianni
answered on Aug 28, 2026
answered on Aug 28, 2026
I am a New York real estate attorney with 27 years of practice on Long Island.
The TP-584 is required because what Hometap is doing is not a loan, and the paperwork is telling you that. Form TP-584 is New York's Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return. It is filed when an instrument... View More
Q: How can I dispute arrears I owe without solid proof and understand my rent obligations with my NYCHA EHV voucher?
I am disputing arrears that my landlord claims I owe for 2025. I've lived in a two-bedroom LIHTC apartment for three years, using my NYCHA EHV voucher. I never received a reduced rent share letter specifying the rent after NYCHA increased my rent share. Despite providing ledgers from when I... View More
Thomas Anthony Sirianni
answered on Aug 28, 2026
answered on Aug 28, 2026
I am a New York landlord-tenant attorney with 27 years of practice on Long Island.
The direct answer is that a landlord cannot collect arrears it cannot document, and with a NYCHA Emergency Housing Voucher your rent share is not something management gets to decide on its own. Your share is... View More
Q: Do I legally have to attend a foreclosure hearing in New York if I don't live in the property?
I have received official documents about a court hearing for home foreclosure in New York. I don't live in the property and am not concerned about it going into foreclosure. I haven't communicated with the lender and am unaware if anyone currently resides there. Legally, do I have to... View More
Thomas Anthony Sirianni
answered on Aug 28, 2026
answered on Aug 28, 2026
I am a New York foreclosure defense and real estate attorney with 27 years of practice on Long Island.
No, you are not legally required to attend the hearing, and nobody is going to arrest you for skipping it. Foreclosure in New York is a civil lawsuit, not a criminal matter. But I want to... View More
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