Residents in one of San Francisco’s most expensive neighborhoods say they have spent more than a year watching unfamiliar people move in and out of a $4.4 million Sea Cliff home, while questions about forged deeds, unpaid property taxes and the true ownership of the house have left neighbors frustrated with the city’s response.
ABC7 News Bay Area investigative reporter Stephanie Sierra examined the unusual case involving the property at 250 32nd Avenue, where neighbors say police have been called repeatedly and roughly a dozen people have frequented the house over the past year.
“It’s scary,” one neighbor told Sierra. “I go to bed nervous, and I wake up nervous.”
The situation has now reached the courts, with the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office filing a lawsuit against two alleged squatters accused of trying to gain control of the property through fraudulent deeds.
Neighbors Say the House Changed Dramatically
Neighbors told Sierra the property appeared to have been abandoned by its original owner around 2020.
Over the past year, however, they began seeing unfamiliar people arrive at all hours, sometimes carrying suitcases and large bins in and out of the house.
“It really has been a 24-hour surveillance that’s going on,” one neighbor said. “People are at a breaking point.”
Another resident said the front door was eventually broken down, and then a new deed appeared in public records.
Neighbors say police have responded to the property many times, with one resident estimating roughly 20 visits.
Sierra attempted to speak with a woman who appeared to be living inside the home and whose name was listed on property records.
When Sierra asked whether she owned the house, the woman answered, “Yes.”
But when questioned about another individual whose name also appeared in the title history, the woman did not provide a clear explanation.
That uncertainty is at the heart of the story. This is not a straightforward case of someone simply occupying an empty house; there is a complicated paper trail in which multiple people have claimed ownership while the original owner has apparently remained out of reach.
Deed Changed Hands Repeatedly
Property records reviewed by 7 On Your Side showed that the deed shifted between two individuals at least seven times in one year, including four transfers since July.
Both individuals have reportedly claimed that the other is not the legitimate owner.
Questions became more serious when notaries connected to the deeds began disputing the documents.
One notary told ABC7 that his signature had been forged and said he had reported the matter to authorities.
“I do not use all caps,” the notary wrote, according to Sierra’s report. “The imposter has clearer, crisper handwriting than I do.”
ABC7 contacted other notaries appearing in the recent title history, and four said either their signature or stamp had been forged or that the documents were altered after they signed them.
Bill Anderson, vice president of Government Affairs for the National Notary Association, described such cases as “tragic” because notaries themselves can become victims when their names or seals are used fraudulently.
Real estate attorney George Wolff told Sierra the rapid back-and-forth movement of the deed was suspicious.
“It could be that they’re just trying to confuse people,” Wolff said.
Property Was Allegedly Offered Below Market Value
The mystery deepened when one of the alleged squatters reportedly attempted to sell the property.
Sierra said the $4.4 million home was offered for about $2.9 million, well below its stated market value.
Investor Alex Martin, of We Buy SF Bay Homes, said he saw the property when it was being offered off-market.
“That’s where the alarm bells went off,” Martin told Sierra.
He said the person involved wanted cash up front and wanted to know how quickly the buyer could close.
“Very sketchy, very shady,” Martin said.
He ultimately walked away from the deal.
That may be one of the most remarkable details in the case. If the city attorney’s allegations are correct, the issue was not simply about occupying someone else’s property; officials say the defendants were attempting to turn disputed paperwork into a multimillion-dollar sale.
Records Raise More Questions About Those on the Title
Sierra also examined the backgrounds of the people who appeared in the home’s recent title history.
Public records reviewed by 7 On Your Side showed that one individual had multiple prior convictions.
In 2008, that person pleaded guilty to falsely claiming to be a Hurricane Katrina victim in order to obtain $48,000 from FEMA and the American Red Cross.
A sentencing memorandum cited several earlier convictions involving false or insufficient-funds checks.
Sierra also reported that the individual currently has an outstanding warrant involving multiple felonies in San Mateo County.
A police incident report concerning the other alleged squatter described that person as having an extensive criminal history, while court records showed previous evictions and repeated bankruptcy filings.
Neither person offered ABC7 a detailed explanation of the property dispute.
One eventually responded to Sierra with only, “No comment.”
City Attorney Calls It an Effort to ‘Steal a House’
After months of neighbor complaints, the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office finally filed a lawsuit against both alleged squatters.
According to Sierra, the lawsuit describes an “unlawful scheme” involving allegedly forged and fraudulently notarized deeds filed with the San Francisco Assessor’s Office.
The city attorney’s office said the conduct threatened “the integrity of multiple city agencies.”
Officials later put their allegation even more directly.
“Defendants are effectively trying to steal a house and sell it to make millions in profit,” the office told 7 On Your Side. “That is fraud.”
No criminal charges had been filed at the time of Sierra’s report.
The San Francisco Police Department said it understood neighbors’ frustrations and was working with the District Attorney’s Office.
The DA’s office declined to confirm or deny the existence of any possible criminal investigation.
For residents, that division of responsibility has become part of the frustration.
“It really just feels like we’ve been handed around from department to department,” one neighbor said.
Original Owner Remains a Mystery
One of the biggest unresolved questions is what happened to the property’s original owner.
Investigators say the owner has been outside the country and has been difficult or impossible to reach.
Wolff said the property apparently has no mortgage, meaning someone owns a multimillion-dollar asset free and clear but appears to have left it unattended.
“That’s kind of the big mystery to me,” he said.
Meanwhile, neighbors say the house has deteriorated and at one point caused flooding into adjacent properties.
The property also has a major tax problem.
Amanda Fried, San Francisco’s chief assistant treasurer, told Sierra that about $321,000 in property taxes are owed.
She said cases involving long-term unpaid taxes usually concern unusable parcels or low-value properties, making a high-end Sea Cliff home an unusual addition to the city’s delinquent-tax portfolio.
Auction Could Become the Next Step
The house has now been tax delinquent long enough to qualify for the city’s auction process.
Fried said San Francisco’s first responsibility is collecting the money owed, but officials understand this property is different from most cases they handle.
The Treasurer’s Office has filed a resolution that could move the home toward auction, although Sierra noted that the process can take years and can still be blocked or delayed.
Wolff also explained that adverse possession — the process through which someone can potentially gain ownership rights by occupying property — requires far more than simply moving in.
According to him, a person would generally need at least five years of hostile possession and must pay property taxes before asking a court to recognize ownership.
That makes the current case even stranger, since the taxes have not been paid since 2020.
For residents, the legal details have become almost secondary to the fact that the situation continues.
“Get them out,” one neighbor said.
Another warned that it felt like “just a matter of time before something terrible happens in the house.”
The city has now started moving on several fronts, but neighbors who have spent more than a year watching the property say that action came far too slowly.
What remains is a complicated mix of alleged deed fraud, disputed ownership, unpaid taxes and a multimillion-dollar house that has become a source of anxiety for an entire block.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.
