NY Attorney General Intervenes in Elmhurst Property Sale Over African Burial Ground

New York, NY, September 18, 2026 — New York State Attorney General Letitia James has intervened in the foreclosure sale of a property in Elmhurst, Queens, that sits atop a historic African burial ground. The site is documented to date back to 1818.

The Attorney General’s office has filed a motion related to the sale. This legal action aims to ensure that any prospective buyers are fully informed of their responsibilities and legal obligations concerning the protection of the burial ground and the human remains interred there.

The property in question is a parking lot. The historical significance of the site, identified as an African burial ground established in 1818, has prompted the intervention. The precise details of the foreclosure sale, including the auction date and the entity initiating the foreclosure, were not immediately available.

The motion filed by the Attorney General’s office seeks to safeguard the historical and cultural integrity of the burial ground. This intervention underscores the state’s commitment to protecting ancestral resting places and ensuring that development or sale processes adhere to legal requirements for historical preservation.

Further information regarding the specific legal arguments presented in the motion and the potential outcomes for the property sale was not provided in the initial summary. The Attorney General’s office is reportedly taking steps to ensure compliance with all relevant preservation laws and ethical considerations pertaining to ancestral burial sites.

Story summarized from the original created by Greg B. Smith on www.thecityreporter.nyc, see more information here.

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