Lawmakers call for action after man loses home over water bill

BROOKLYN (WABC) -- A community is rallying around a Brooklyn homeowner who was featured in a 7 On Your Side Investigation.

"It is a profound injustice," said NYC Councilmember Chris Banks.

The New York City Public Advocate, along with local and state lawmakers, held a rally in front of the home of Filmore Brown.

"We are the very center of a crisis," said Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman.

It took Brown two decades to pay off his home, only to have it sold out from under him.

Brown says he had no idea he had an unpaid $5,000 water bill from 2019.

"I would've paid it, no problem," said Brown.

The city, as part of a routine practice, sold his unpaid bill to what's called a Trust, which is a group of investors.

It's then up to those investors to collect the money with interest.

When the balance wasn't paid, the Trust foreclosed on his $800,000 home and auctioned it off.

"I think this city failed me," said Brown.

The city and the Trust said they sent and delivered numerous warning notices but Brown says he never received them. He lives on the top floor of his home and rents out the bottom two apartments to other families.

Once his $5,000 bill was put into the Trust, it was removed from the city's payment system. So when Brown made thousands of dollars in payments since then, it didn't state he had an outstanding balance.

"We will not rest until we get to the bottom of this and hold every culpable party accountable," said Banks.

The local lawmakers are calling for an official investigation into what happened. They're also crafting new legislation that would improve trust and foreclosure notifications and prevent owners from losing homes over unpaid water bills in the first place.

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection, which collects water and sewer bills, sent a statement in response to the rally:

"Last year, in partnership with the Department of Finance, we implemented reforms to specifically prevent unfortunate situations like this from happening by giving property owners more time, information, and resources to pay their debts. DEP is ready and willing to work with customers to resolve their accounts, connect them with available financial resources, and, if a lien was sold, direct them to the appropriate party for assistance.

Water and sewer charges are legal liens against a property, and while they must be resolved, DEP handles these matters with care and a commitment to supporting those in need. The lien sale sustains the financial health of the water and sewer system, ensuring reliable service for all New Yorkers and funding neighborhood infrastructure investments, including flood control measures in East Flatbush and Canarsie. Unpaid bills ultimately force everyone else to pay higher water rates, so it's essential that all customers pay their fair share. The lien sale has been an effective tool to collect past-due bills, helping DEP limit the FY26 water rate increase to 3.7% instead of the 8.5% originally forecast. The lien sale also has strong hardship protections for vulnerable customers, with new reforms introduced this year to strengthen those safeguards."

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