Full question:
My mother needs to leave her very dilapidated home in central New York state to move into a section 8 apartment. I'm not sure we could get a penny for the run down house which has ancient/dangerous/ barely functional water and electrical. She owns it outright and there is no insurance on it. How can it be legally abandoned? We want to make sure the title passes out of her name officially. Can we give it to the city?
- Category: Abandoned Property
- Date:
- State: New York
Answer:
Generally, a city will not take ownership just because the owner no longer wishes to own the property. You cannot walk away from a property or pass title to another, including the city where it is located, without the other party agreeing to the transfer.
We suggest contacting your local legislator or council person to inquire into the possibility of donating the property for charitable purposes. They may be able to suggest entities that would agree to have the property transferred into their name.
See also:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/home/home.shtml/
https://www.dhcr.state.ny.us/AboutUs/contact.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/16/nyregion/renovation-program-is-running-out-of-abandoned-housing.html
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2007/11/why_are_there_1.php
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
