A San Francisco house valued at about $4.4 million sat empty as its tax debt passed $340,000; after a lawsuit alleged forged ownership deeds, the city approved an auction that could end a yearlong neighborhood dispute

A vacant mansion in San Francisco, valued at about $4.4 million, is set to be sold at a public tax auction. The property has stood empty for years and has built up more than $340,000 in unpaid property taxes. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution allowing the Treasurer and Tax Collector to sell the Mediterranean-style home at 250 32nd Avenue in the wealthy Sea Cliff neighbourhood. The decision aims to settle a yearlong dispute involving complaints about squatters, police visits and an alleged plan to forge property deeds. The case has drawn the attention of city prosecutors and legal authorities. Because homes worth this much rarely fall so far behind on taxes that the city must force a sale, officials decided to arrange a special tax auction instead of waiting for the usual municipal auction schedule.

Unpaid taxes and alleged deed fraud

The property is listed as Assessor’s Block 1391, Lot 014. Wei Wang and her husband bought it in 2013. According to court filings submitted by San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, Ms Wang later moved abroad and stopped paying property taxes to the city. As a result, the unpaid amount grew to more than $340,000 over several tax years. The long period without anyone living in the house created an opportunity for a series of alleged fraudulent property transfers. In September, City Attorney David Chiu filed a civil lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court against Brandon Aadee and Diana Peng. He accused them of carrying out “a deliberate and sustained scheme to unlawfully take ownership” of the home by using forged and altered documents. According to the city attorney’s complaint, Mr Aadee recorded a fraudulent deed in July 2025. The document falsely claimed that Ms Wang had transferred ownership of the Sea Cliff property to him. Over the next 13 months, Mr Aadee and Ms Peng recorded eight separate deeds, repeatedly transferring the property title between themselves.The lawsuit claims that at least five of these deeds included forged notary signatures, fake seals or official statements that had been changed after notarization. Several licensed notaries told investigators that their signatures and professional seals had been forged or used without permission. Some of the filed deeds also claimed tax exemptions based on an alleged “dissolution of marriage”. However, city records show no evidence that Mr Aadee and Ms Peng were ever married. “Defendants are effectively trying to steal a house and sell it to make millions in profit,” City Attorney David Chiu said when announcing the lawsuit under California’s Unfair Competition Law. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Charles F. Haines issued a temporary restraining order against Mr Aadee and Ms Peng. The order prevents them from transferring, selling or placing financial claims against the property. It also bars them from filing any more land documents with the Assessor-Recorder’s office.

Neighborhood frustration and police response

The legal dispute took place amid growing frustration among residents of Sea Cliff, a quiet neighbourhood near the ocean. According to local news outlet The San Francisco Standard, neighbours had raised concerns for more than a year about unauthorised visitors entering the home at all hours, construction noise outside normal working hours and suspected break-ins. Residents said the empty house had effectively become a gathering place for squatters, leading to frequent calls to law enforcement. The police response also drew criticism from nearby homeowners. Cameron Will, a Sea Cliff resident, filed a formal complaint with the Department of Police Accountability about how officers dealt with an unregistered vehicle parked at the property, according to reports by the SF Inquirer. Another neighbour, Whitney Lynn, said the police presence later improved, with plainclothes officers assigned to carry out targeted checks at the property. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins confirmed that her office had opened an investigation into possible criminal activity linked to the home’s occupation and the property title transfers. Speaking to local broadcaster ABC7, District Attorney Jenkins explained that building a fraud case requires strong evidence. She said prosecutors must be sure they can prove criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt because they “only get one shot at that apple.”

Public auction to settle tax debt

To recover the unpaid tax revenue and restore stability to the neighbourhood, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed File No. 261002. The resolution was introduced through the board’s Budget and Finance Committee. It gives Tax Collector José Cisneros the authority to sell the property to the highest bidder at a public tax auction. Under California’s revenue and taxation laws, the money raised by the auction will first be used to pay the $340,000 tax debt, along with any accumulated interest, administrative costs and city penalties. Any money left over will be held according to state law. Legitimate lienholders or the verified legal owner may be able to claim the remaining funds. The city has not yet announced an official date for the public auction. However, the Board of Supervisors’ unanimous vote clears the way for the tax collector to complete the arrangements and set the sale details.