How NYC Homeowners Can Check Their Property Records

Why You Should Check Your Property Records

Most New York City homeowners have never looked up their own property records — and that’s exactly what deed thieves count on.

A deed theft scheme typically works like this: a fraudster forges documents transferring ownership of your home, records them in ACRIS, and then takes out loans against your property or sells it to unsuspecting buyers. By the time you find out, the damage can take years and tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to unwind — if it can be unraveled at all.

The good news: because deed theft requires recording documents in ACRIS, it leaves a paper trail. The key is catching that trail quickly.

How to Search ACRIS Yourself

Step 1: Go to the ACRIS website

Visit a836-acris.nyc.gov and click “Real Property.”

Step 2: Search by address or BBL

You can search by:

• Address — Enter your house number, street name, and borough.
• BBL — Your Borough-Block-Lot number. This is the most precise identifier. You can find your BBL on your property tax bill or by searching your address on the NYC Department of Finance website.

Step 3: Review the document list

You’ll see a list of recorded documents — often going back decades. For now, focus on documents recorded within the last year or two.

Step 4: Spot unusual activity

Look for anything you don’t recognize, especially:

• Deeds — Was there a deed recorded that you didn’t sign?
• Mortgages — Is there a new mortgage against your property you didn’t take out?
• Lis Pendens — This means a lawsuit has been filed that could affect your property.

Step 5: Open concerning documents

Click on any document that concerns you to view the full scanned image. Check who signed it, who the parties are, and when it was recorded.

What Your BBL Number Means

Your BBL is a 10-digit code:

• First digit = Borough (1=Manhattan, 2=Bronx, 3=Brooklyn, 4=Queens, 5=Staten Island)
• Next 5 digits = Block number (padded with leading zeros)
• Last 4 digits = Lot number (padded with leading zeros)

For example, 3200104200 = Brooklyn, Block 2001, Lot 42.

You’ll use this number when registering your property with AcrisWatch.

Making Checking Automatic

Manually checking ACRIS every few weeks is better than never checking — but it’s easy to forget, and fraudulent deeds can be recorded and acted upon quickly.

AcrisWatch automates this for you. Once you register your property, we check ACRIS on your behalf and send you an immediate notification whenever a new document is recorded. You’ll get an email (and optionally an SMS) with a summary of what was filed and a link to the full ACRIS record.

This means even if you’re traveling, busy, or simply not thinking about your property records, you’ll know within hours if something unexpected is filed.

What To Do If You Find Something Wrong

If you find a document in ACRIS that you did not authorize:

1. Contact a real estate attorney immediately. Time matters. An attorney can file an emergency motion to undo a fraudulent transfer faster than the process can proceed.
2. Report it to the NYC Sheriff’s Office — they investigate real property fraud.
3. File a complaint with the NYC Deed Theft Task Force at nyc.gov/deedtheft.
4. Notify your mortgage lender if you have one.
5. Contact your homeowner’s insurance to document the incident.

Remember: AcrisWatch alerts and information are not legal advice. We help you see what’s in the public record quickly — your attorney helps you act on it.