Hypothetical.... And I could be way off base here.... But just for my understanding, would this be the same situation just on a smaller scale?
An individual buys a house to rent out as a STVR. Rents the house out for 3 years. Wants to buy a new house to rent as a STVR. Wants to use a HELOC to get the new house(stupid idea, but just for S&G). Employs a realtor to give price on current house to give to lender. Realtor says current house is worth $400,000. HELOC lender says house is worth $320,000. Lender approves $250,000 for new house using the old house as equity.
Individual buys new house for $200,000. Individual rents out house as STVR for 5 more years.
Along comes some prosecutor who dislikes you for whatever reason and says you committed fraud by telling the lender the house is worth $400,000. Gets the case before a judge or jury who say the individual is guilty of fraud under this same statute.
So for 5 years of renting, lets say the individual made $500,000(Executive rental FTW). So in NY before this individual could ask the appeals court to even listen to their case, they would have to come up with at least $500,000(probably more since I don't know what all it entails, plus interest of course). That is more than all their assets combined because they don't have 100% equity in either house. Nor enough cash to make up the difference.
I understand NY makes their own laws, but it seems kinda preposterous that the requirement for you to appeal is tied to a figure that could be well above your means to pay. If bond companies don't exist or won't take the risk, and a bogus charge is levied against you and you have a lawyer who loses the first trial you are screwed with no way to appeal the bad trial.
Maybe I didn't need to type all this out, maybe I did. But I am not a lawyer and trying to piece this all together in my mind.
Maybe it is as simple as too bad, so sad. But to me it seems like it is a disservice to your citizens to do it this way.