4 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 20, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com QUEENS FORECLOSURE CASES decreasing as state faces problems BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 Though New York State continues to see high levels of foreclosure activity, New York City – including Queens — is experiencing a decrease in foreclosure cases, according to the state comptroller’s offi ce. In a report released on Aug. 17, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli highlighted that New York State continues to face high levels of foreclosure activity as new foreclosure fi lings remain considerably higher than prerecession levels. Between 2006 and 2009, the number of new foreclosure cases fi led increased from 26,706 to 47,664, a growth of 78 percent. In 2011 and 2012, the number declined with new court rules issued requiring lenders to confi rm their claim to the property. Then since reaching 16,655 in 2011, new fi lings went up to 46,696 by 2013 before falling to 43,868 last year. “The foreclosure crisis is far from resolved, and there are still too many people losing their homes,” said DiNapoli, who also reported on the foreclosure issue in 2012. “In many Lieutenant governor visits Bayside’s Bell Boulevard places the situation has continued to get worse. Foreclose properties displace families and weigh heavily on local communities, reducing property values and eroding tax bases. We must continue efforts to help homeowners and stem the spread of foreclosure-induced blight.” The report also shows the number of pending foreclosure cases increased by 27 percent from the beginning of 2013 to May 2014 — from 72,183 to over 91,600. Since then, the pending number of cases has remained steady at over 90,000. According to the comptroller’s report, areas immediately outside of New York City – such as Long Island and the mid-Hudson region – have seen the greatest number of pending foreclosures with cases rising 63 percent from 25,097 at the beginning of 2013 to 40,985 this year. However, although pending foreclosure cases across upstate grew by 47 percent, New York City experienced nearly a drop of 10 percent over the two-year period. For Queens, the situation looks to be “improving,” according to the report, with a high foreclosure rate of around 1.25 percent but decreasing caseload. At the beginning of 2013 Queens had 12,497 pending foreclosure cases and in the beginning of this year it saw 10,667, a decrease of 14.1 percent. The state courts’ efforts to work through a large backlog of foreclosure cases become diffi cult through the state’s complicated judicial foreclosure process. However, a number of state agencies, such as the Unifi ed Court System, the Department of Financial Services and the offi ce of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, are making efforts to resolve any cases which may have become stalled, monitor properties with delinquent mortgages and return vacant abandoned properties to productive use. Schneiderman awarded close to $33 million to land banks across the state which will be used to demolish vacant and abandoned homes, renovate and resell homes, and support other development activities. Photo via Flickr Creative Commons/Taber Andrew Bain Photo by Alina Suriel Fish die in Flushing’s Kissena Lake after fl ash fl oods BY ALINA SURIEL [email protected] @alinangelica More than a hundred fi sh in the lake of Flushing‘s Kissena Park died this week after recent fl ash fl ooding cut off their oxygen supply. Residents in the Flushing area observed fi sh of all sizes gasping for life or fl oating dead on the surface of the lake from the night of Aug. 11 through Aug. 12. According to the Parks Department, natural wells fi ll Kissena Lake with water, but greenblue algae growth precipitated by the fl ash fl ooding caused oxygen levels to drop off and endanger the fi sh. Workers from the agency were at the lake on Aug. 12 with mechanized pumps to add oxygen to the water and prevent any further damage from being done. “Starting Wednesday morning, NYC Parks staff have worked quickly to address this issue, bringing in aerating water pumps and coordinating with DEC to investigate further,” the Parks Department said in a statement. An estimated 150 fi sh were killed in total as of Aug. 13, but this number is expected to rise as more fi sh fl oat to the surface. The department reported on Aug. 14 that the oxygen levels have been restored and the water is once again safe for fi sh. Photo courtesy of the Parks Department Fish died in Kissena Park’s lake this week from decreased oxygen levels. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul (pictured in blue dress) visits Turn the Page Again, a bookstore on Bayside’s Bell Boulevard that provides transitional training and employment for individuals recovering from mental illness. Hochul stopped by the store on a walking tour of Bell Boulevard with Bayside BID Executive Director Lyle Sclair. Congresswoman Grace Meng and Dominick Bruccoleri, owner of Pappazio’s restaurant on Bell Boulevard, were also present for the tour, which was intended to highlight Governor Andrew Cuomo’s small business agenda.
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