CM Banks presents electronic property registration bill
Council Member Chris Banks presents his preconsidered bill to allow electronic registration of dwellings with HPD, citing property owners' experiences of paper registrations being lost while the $13 fee was always cashed. He describes the bill as modernizing a routine government process for the 21st century.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
This is a very straightforward bill, common sense piece of legislation that will modernize and update the process that makes it easier for property owners to comply with city requirements.
After hearing property owners and advocates and organizations such as the small property owners of New York, it has become clear that the current paper-based registration system creates unnecessary challenges.
You know, property owners shared experiences of submitting registration paperwork on time, sometimes even by certified mail, only to be told later that the documents could not be located.
and would need to be resubmitted.
At the same time, many noted that while the paperwork seemed to go missing, the $13 registration fee did not.
The legislation provides for a practical solution by allowing property owners to register their properties electronically through an online system maintained by HPD,
and it would permit the use of electronic signatures, allow filing fees to be paid online and create a more efficient and reliable registration process
while preserving a transition period for paper submissions.
By moving this process online, we can reduce the administrative burdens,
improve record keeping, minimize the risk of lost paperwork, and provide confirmation that submissions have been received and increase accountability for both the property owner and the agency.
Ultimately, this bill is about bringing a routine government process into the 21st century and ensuring that property owners can interact with city government in a way that is efficient and transparent and reliable.
Again, I want to thank the chair and my staff and the ledge team for working with my office to bring this bill and the advocates from Sponey and property owners who worked with my office on this legislation.
We're looking forward to hearing the testimonies today.
And again, thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Councilmember Banks, and shout out to you for being so collaborative and just willing to talk about all the ways to strengthen this bill.
I appreciate you.
I want to acknowledge that we were joined briefly by Councilmember Joseph, who will be back.
And next, we're going to hear from our public advocate, who has just joined us.
And I'm surprising, so I'm going to keep talking until he's ready.
Okay.
Public advocate, Jumaane Williams.