S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2966
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 18, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to notice of sale  or
   transfer of ownership of residential property
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 291 of the real property law, as amended by chapter
 447 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
   § 291. Recording of conveyances.  A conveyance of real property, with-
 in the state, on being duly acknowledged by  the  person  executing  the
 same,  or proved as required by this chapter, and such acknowledgment or
 proof duly certified when required by this chapter, may be  recorded  in
 the  office of the clerk of the county where such real property is situ-
 ated, and such county clerk OR CITY REGISTRAR  WHERE  APPLICABLE  shall,
 upon  the  request  of any party, on tender of the lawful fees therefor,
 record the same in [his] said office.   Every  such  conveyance  not  so
 recorded  is  void  as  against any person who subsequently purchases or
 acquires by exchange or contracts to purchase or  acquire  by  exchange,
 the same real property or any portion thereof, or acquires by assignment
 the  rent to accrue therefrom as provided in section two hundred ninety-
 four-a of [the real property law] THIS ARTICLE, in good faith and for  a
 valuable  consideration, from the same vendor or assignor, his distribu-
 tees or devisees, and whose conveyance, contract or assignment is  first
 duly  recorded, and is void as against the lien upon the same real prop-
 erty or  any  portion  thereof  arising  from  payments  made  upon  the
 execution  of  or  pursuant  to  the  terms  of a contract with the same
 vendor, his distributees or devisees, if such contract is made  in  good
 faith  and  is  first duly recorded.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
 increase in the principal balance of a mortgage lien by  virtue  of  the
 addition  thereto of unpaid interest in accordance with the terms of the
 mortgage shall retain the priority of the original mortgage lien  as  so
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              
             
                          
                                                                            LBD04243-01-7
 S. 2966                             2
 
 increased  provided  that  any  such  mortgage instrument sets forth its
 terms of repayment.  THE CLERK OF THE COUNTY  OR  CITY  REGISTRAR  WHERE
 SUCH  CONVEYANCE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY IS RECORDED AND MAINTAINED
 SHALL  MAIL  A WRITTEN NOTICE OF SUCH CONVEYANCE TO THE OWNER OF RECORD.
 THE NOTICE SHALL HAVE THE HEADING PRINTED IN 20 POINT BOLD TYPE AND READ
 AS FOLLOWS:
 "NOTICE OF SALE OR TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF YOUR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
 TO:______________________________
       NAME OF OWNER OF RECORD
 
 OUR RECORDS SHOW THAT YOU ARE LISTED AS THE CURRENT OWNER OF RECORD  FOR
 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY:
 
 BLOCK # __________  LOT # ________
 
 LOCATED AT: ___________________________
                   STREET ADDRESS
 
 IN THE COUNTY OF __________________ NEW YORK
 ON ____________, DOCUMENTS WERE FILED AT THIS
       DATE
 OFFICE TO CHANGE OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER TITLE OF YOUR PROPERTY.
 
 TO: ______________________________
           NAME OF NEW OWNER
 IF  YOU  HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE VALIDITY OF THE DOCUMENTS, AND
 WISH TO DISPUTE THE RECORDING OF THE TRANSFER, YOU SHOULD  OBTAIN  LEGAL
 COUNSEL.  IF  YOU  BELIEVE  YOU  ARE A VICTIM OF A CRIME RELATED TO THIS
 RECORDING, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR, IF IN THE  CITY
 OF NEW YORK, THE OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF."
 THE  PARTY SEEKING TO RECORD SUCH CONVEYANCE SHALL BEAR THE COST OF SUCH
 WRITTEN NOTICE.   THE PARTY  SEEKING  TO  RECORD  THE  CONVEYANCE  SHALL
 SUBMIT, CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH THE FILING OF THE DOCUMENT OF CONVEYANCE,
 A PRE-STAMPED ENVELOPE BEARING SUFFICIENT POSTAGE TO MAIL A LARGE ENVEL-
 OPE  BY FIRST CLASS MAIL.  FAILURE TO MAIL SUCH NOTICE OR THE FAILURE OF
 ANY PARTY TO RECEIVE THE SAME, SHALL NOT  AFFECT  THE  VALIDITY  OF  THE
 CONVEYANCE OF THE PROPERTY.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.