Letitia James’ Mortgage Misclassification Just Got Worse

New York Attorney General Letitia James didn’t just misclassify her five-unit Brooklyn brownstone as a “4-family dwelling” on mortgage documents. As we’ve previously reported, this distinction is not trivial—properties with five or more units are considered commercial and subject to stricter lending rules. But our latest investigation reveals something even more troubling: on multiple occasions, James described the property as a “1-family,” “1–2 family,” or even “1–3 family” dwelling—designations that offer even greater mortgage advantages than the 4-family classification, including lower interest rates, reduced reserve requirements, and easier approval thresholds. This isn’t a minor paperwork discrepancy. Five-unit buildings are classified...