Queens foreclosure filings are the highest in the state.
According to the latest filings figures from the New York state court system, while foreclosures have dropped dramatically across the state since Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman told lawyers they had to certify that the filing papers are accurate by signing an affirmation, Queens residents are still under the gun.
Prior to the judge’s requirement, Queens foreclosures were running at about 10 percent of all state filings, averaging 85 a week.
Since the October declaration from the chief judge, filings have averaged almost 100 a week. In the week ended Jan. 9, the 119 foreclosure cases filed in Queens accounted for 70 percent of all filings in the state.
By contrast, Brooklyn had four filings for the week, accounting for 2.8 percent of the total.
Why are residents of Queens being singled out?
According to Paul Lewis, chief of staff for Judge Lippman, Queens has well-established law firms doing business with local banks, and they were able to quickly adjust to the new requirements.
Others say the real test will come when the filings may be challenged down the road.