One Brooklyn
Contact: Jonah Allon, [email protected]; 929-291-8881
Brooklyn, NY – Today, following a Daily News report detailing how Dairus Griffiths, a homeowner living in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, may be on the verge of losing his home of 30 years after falling victim to a predatory scheme, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams joined with Mr. Griffiths and his family in front of their property to decry the epidemic of housing theft taking place across Brooklyn, and announce a GoFundMe page dedicated to helping the family with the cost of legal services.
“The heartbreaking story of Dairus Griffiths is a story that has unfortunately become all-too common in our borough. The housing theft crisis in Brooklyn has reached epidemic proportions. And it seems to be most severe in gentrifying neighborhoods, where seniors and people of color seem to be the most common target of fraud. Homeownership has long offered a path to the middle class to African-American families, and we must ensure the wealth stays in the communities that helped build their prosperity over several decades. We also need to use all tools at our disposal to aggressively go after bad actors and stop this crisis from spreading. I encourage everyone to donate what they can so that Mr. Griffiths and his family can stay in their home,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.
Mr. Griffiths has owned a home at 650 Halsey Street, between Malcolm X Boulevard and Patchen Avenue, for over 30 years. According to the Daily News story, in 2014 he was approached by Eli Mashieh from August West Development, who told Mr. Griffiths that they could help him with his mortgage payments. Mr. Griffiths signed paperwork that he believed would help him stay in his home, but August West Development claimed he signed a contract to sell his home. The notary present at the signing, George Aig Seaton, also denies having notarized a contract for the sale of the home. August West proceeded to file a lawsuit against Mr. Griffiths in 2014 after he denied signing a contract, but the family only learned about the lawsuit in 2016. The judge hearing the case ruled against them for failing to respond to the legal action. The family is trying to appeal the judge’s decision, and is trying to raise money to cover the $25,000 cost in legal fees.
The Borough President, who last year held a hearing on housing theft at Borough Hall, has called for a “full-scale, forensic audit and investigation” into the root causes of the current crisis. He has also been a vocal critic of the City’s Third Party Transfer (TPT) program, which he believes has become susceptible to various forms of fraud.
The link to the GoFundMe page for the family is available here: https://www.gofundme.com/help-the-griffiths-family-save-our-home
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