Man Losing Home Over Unpaid Water Bill—’I Didn’t Know’
A Brooklyn homeowner who had completely paid off his mortgage is now fighting to reclaim his house after it was foreclosed due to a water bill he says he never received.
Filmore Brown, who owns a three-unit building in Brooklyn, told ABC 7 that he was shocked to find his $800,000 home had been repossessed over an unpaid water bill of just over $5,000. He says he never received any notice about the outstanding debt, nor was he aware that legal action had been taken against him.
Brown, who lives on the top floor and rents out the other two units, said the first he knew of the foreclosure was when contractors showed up late at night and began drilling through his front door lock to take possession of the property.
Officials claim notices were sent and legal papers were served at the property in November 2020. But Brown disputes this, saying he never received them.
“I didn’t know; I just would’ve paid it,” Brown told ABC 7. “It’s more than I can bear… I cannot eat, I cannot drink, and I cannot sleep. I feel like my home has been stolen from me and I need it back.”
A Debt Sold and a Home Lost
The unpaid bill, which reportedly dates back to at least 2019, was eventually sold by the New York City Department of Finance to a private investment trust. That trust then initiated foreclosure proceedings, a move legal under city law that allows such trusts to recover debts — plus interest — through property seizures.
Brown purchased the home in 1996 and said he worked seven days a week to fully pay off his mortgage by 2019. The debt that led to the foreclosure was worth less than 1% of the property’s total value.
Attorney Yolande Nicholson, part of Brown’s legal team, told ABC 7, “There needs to be some type of notification that there’s another bill out there that needs to be paid. More must be done to protect hardworking seniors on fixed incomes.”
Attorney Alice Nicholson added: “He said he didn’t know anything about this and I believe him.”
Officials Respond
In a statement to ABC 7, a spokesperson for the NYC Department of Finance said the agency is working to prevent cases like Brown’s. “Our goal is never to see a homeowner lose their property. Last year, we implemented reforms to give property owners more time, information, and resources to resolve their debts,” the spokesperson said. This year, the department also boosted outreach with “door-to-door visits, direct phone calls, and other targeted communications.”
Community and Lawmakers Rally
Following news of Brown’s case, local leaders and activists held a rally outside his home over the weekend. NYC Councilmember Chris Banks called the situation “a profound injustice,” while Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman described it as a “crisis” that demands immediate action.
Both lawmakers are now calling for an official investigation into how the foreclosure happened — and how it can be prevented from happening to others.
What’s Next
Brown, now backed by a legal team and community support, is fighting to win back his home. As the case draws attention, advocates say it raises bigger questions about how cities handle small debts — and how easily homeowners can lose everything over missed notices or bureaucratic missteps.
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