Identify the Owner of a Strategic Site

Identifying ownership of private property can be a time consuming and costly process. Many property owners go to great lengths to mask their identity to avoid a variety of issues, such as environmental concerns.

Real estate holding corporations, the official taxpayer of record for many properties in the City, is a commonly used vehicle for property ownership. Real estate holding corporations, which often have general and limited partners, have no searchable database in City records that will disclose individual owners. A search of New York State Department of State corporation records, however, can lead to a name but not necessarily any contact information, or a series of additional related holding corporations.  If the ownership entity is a non-profit organization, a search of the Department of State’s Corporation & Business Entity Database or the State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau Registry will be helpful.  

Uncovering a property owner’s identity to enable direct contact with the owner and discuss your development plans may involve:

• Obtaining a title search of the property which will show all mortgages
• Contacting banks that hold mortgages on a property
• Interviewing adjoining property owners
• Discussing property ownership with local real estate brokers