Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a new legislation aimed to protect homeowners from deed thefts throughout the state.

According to the governor, there are over 3,500 deed theft complaints in the city sheriff's office and about 1,500 of them are in Brooklyn. She says it steals generational wealth from vulnerable New Yorkers.

The bill Gov. Hochul signed Tuesday allows prosecutors to flag stolen properties for buyers and lenders and gives homeowners more power to their rights in civil court.

Attorney General Letitia James, a supporter of the bill, says her office indicted five people linked to deed theft in 2022.