San Francisco couple wins $25,000 property auction, only to learn they bought a dirt alley

By Andrea Nakano

A couple in San Francisco’s Sunset District thought they got a steal of a deal on a million-dollar home right next to theirs. They bid $25,000 for a two-unit building, and they won — or at least that’s what they thought.

“Earlier this year, in spring, I got a letter saying that 1926 hadn’t paid their taxes, so it was going to go up for auction,” said JJ Hollingsworth. “This is 1926 here. That’s what I thought.”

What she actually bought is what she now likes to call Hollingsworth Lane.

“You bought literally this part? I guess half of it or something,” she replied.” I don’t know, down to the end of that. What am I going to do with that?”

The winning bid was $25,000. Plus, she wrote a check for a transfer fee. Hollingsworth started sensing something was wrong when the transfer fee was returned.

“So, I did $8,000 for a million-dollar house, so I made a check for that because I thought I was bidding on that,” she explained. “Not on this. I wouldn’t spend $8 on this. What would I do with it?”

Hollingsworth has gone on a rollercoaster of emotions during this process. From joy to confusion to anger.

“It was devastating,” she said. “It was absolutely devastating. We had already celebrated and told our friends. I went over and said, ‘Hey, I’m your landlord now. We’re not going to kick you out or raise your rent.’ “

The San Francisco Treasurer and Tax Collector’s office started offering the slivers of land last year.

“The Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector conducts sealed bid property sales in strict accordance with state law and local procedures,” said Amanda Kahn Fried, chief of policy and communications said in a statement. “Each parcel offered for sale is fully described in the public notice, including an accurate parcel map and clear language noting that the parcels are small, irregular, or otherwise unsuitable for development.

“In this case, the parcel in question was correctly identified, depicted, and described in all materials provided to potential bidders. We also conducted additional outreach, including written notices and opportunities for bidders to ask questions prior to submitting bids. While we regret that any bidder may have misunderstood the nature of a parcel, the City cannot assume responsibility for errors that result from a bidder not reviewing the publicly available materials carefully.”

Now, the only way for Hollingsworth to get her money back is for the Board of Supervisors to rescind the deal. While this whole ordeal has struck a chord with this Sunset District couple, these two are hoping they can rewrite the dirt alley blues.

“It was for a piece of dirt,” Hollingsworth said. “You’re laughing about it now. Well, I’m just glad to see you. Glad to get some positive (coverage), makes it feel better.”