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San Francisco supervisors clear way to auction Sea Cliff home in alleged deed-fraud case

San Francisco supervisors clear way to auction Sea Cliff home in alleged deed-fraud case

Money Moves San Francisco, CA local

Supervisors authorized the tax sale Oct. 20 and the mayor signed it Oct. 23; a judge was set to hear the city's injunction request that same day, with no ruling reported.

October 23rd, 2026: Injunction hearing scheduled

Overview

Updated Oct 26

San Francisco supervisors voted Oct. 20 to let the city auction the tax-defaulted Sea Cliff house at 250 32nd Ave., and the mayor signed the resolution three days later. The four-bedroom home owes more than $342,000 in property taxes dating to July 2021.

If nobody pays that bill first, a new owner takes title and the standoff ends without waiting for the city's fraud suit against Brandon Aadee and Diana Peng. Judge Charles Haines was scheduled to hear the city's request for a preliminary injunction on Oct. 23; no ruling has been reported.

Why it matters

If the auction proceeds, San Francisco gets a way to free a stolen-on-paper home without waiting for prosecutors or a slow civil trial.

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Key Indicators

$342K+
Unpaid property taxes
Owed on 250 32nd Ave. since July 2021.
$500K
Listed minimum bid
Floor price listed for the tax auction, as reported in September.
$4M
Estimated home value
Per ABC7 reporting on the Sea Cliff property.
2
Alleged squatters
Brandon Aadee and Diana Peng, named in the city attorney's suit.
8
Deeds recorded in 13 months
At least five carried forged notary signatures or altered stamps, the city says.

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People Involved

BA
Brandon Aadee
Alleged squatter
Barred from transferring the property; named in the city's civil suit; subject of an arrest warrant in San Mateo County
DP
Diana Peng
Alleged squatter
Barred from transferring the property; under animal-welfare investigation
WW
Wei Wang
Legitimate owner of the home
Living in China; property occupied by alleged squatters
 David Chiu
David Chiu
San Francisco city attorney
Pursuing civil injunction against alleged squatters
CH
Charles Haines
San Francisco Superior Court judge
Was scheduled to hear the city's preliminary injunction request on Oct. 23; no ruling reported as of Oct. 26
CW
Cameron Will
Neighbor and complainant
Filed complaint with the Department of Police Accountability

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
City legislative body
Approved the auction resolution on Oct. 20

The city's legislative body approved a resolution authorizing the treasurer to auction the tax-defaulted Sea Cliff home.
San Francisco City Attorney's Office
San Francisco City Attorney's Office
Municipal legal office
Sought a preliminary injunction; a hearing was scheduled for Oct. 23 and no ruling has been reported

Brought the civil case accusing Aadee and Peng of fraud and seeks to void the allegedly forged deeds.
City and County of San Francisco — Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector
City and County of San Francisco — Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector
City agency
Preparing to auction the property

Will stage the auction of 250 32nd Ave. and expects bidding before year's end.
San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
Police Department
Handling neighbor complaints; assigned a plainclothes officer

Responded to repeated neighbor calls about activity at the home and faces a DPA complaint over its handling of one incident.

Timeline

2013 October 2026

11 events Latest: October 23rd, 2026 · 3 weeks ago Showing 8 of 11
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Injunction hearing scheduled

    Latest Legal

    Judge Charles Haines was scheduled to hear the city attorney's request for a preliminary injunction; no ruling had been reported as of Oct. 26.

  2. Mayor signs auction resolution

    Government action

    The mayor approved the resolution authorizing the tax sale of 250 32nd Ave. (Enactment No. 584-26), three days after the Board of Supervisors passed it.

  3. Supervisors approve auction resolution

    Government action

    Board of Supervisors clears the city to auction the tax-defaulted Sea Cliff home.

  4. Neighbor files DPA complaint

    Complaint

    Cameron Will alleges SFPD let an unregistered van leave despite saying they'd tow it.

  5. Auction resolution clears committee

    Government action

    The Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee amended and recommended the resolution authorizing the tax sale of 250 32nd Ave.

  6. Judge bars squatters from transferring the property

    Legal

    Judge Charles Haines issues a temporary restraining order after neither Aadee nor Peng appears at the hearing.

  7. City attorney files deed-fraud suit

    Legal

    David Chiu's office sues Brandon Aadee and Diana Peng, alleging eight deeds moved the property between them over 13 months, at least five with forged notary signatures.

  8. Alleged squatters take over the home

    Dispute

    Aadee and Peng allegedly use forged deeds to entrench themselves on the property.

  9. Property tax payments stop

    Financial

    Taxes on the home stop being paid, beginning the $342,000 delinquency.

  10. Guo transfers interest to Wang

    Property record

    Guo transfers his ownership interest in the home to Wang.

  11. Wang and Guo buy the Sea Cliff home

    Property record

    Wei Wang and Xiangdong Guo legitimately purchase 250 32nd Ave.

Scenarios

1

Sea Cliff house sells at city auction

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: San Francisco Treasurer & Tax Collector spokesperson Eric Manke, via The San Francisco Standard

The treasurer notifies lienholders and others claiming debts on the property, then opens bidding. If nobody pays the $342,000 tax bill first, the house sells before year's end and the standoff ends with a new owner taking title.

2

Back taxes paid, auction called off

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: The San Francisco Standard (Eric Manke: 'the sale stops immediately')

Anyone — the rightful owner Wang, a lienholder, or even the alleged squatters — pays off the $342,000 debt before bidding. The auction is cancelled, and the ownership fight plays out entirely in civil court.

3

Injunction granted, civil fraud case continues

Likely Resolves by Nov 30, 2026

Discussed by: San Francisco City Attorney's Office

Judge Charles Haines grants the preliminary injunction against Aadee and Peng, keeping them barred from transferring the property while the city's deed-fraud lawsuit plays out. A full trial could take months or years.

4

Auction slips to the city's spring sale

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: The San Francisco Standard, which reported the property was submitted for the city's annual spring auction

The Standard reported in September that the treasurer submits properties to the city's annual auction, held in the spring, and that the soonest the house could sell is 2027. After the Oct. 20 vote, treasurer's spokesperson Eric Manke said he expects a sale this year. A slip to spring would leave the house under a restraining order and in the hands of its current occupants through another winter.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2016-2019

Detroit deed-fraud rings (2016-2019)

Federal prosecutors in Detroit charged several people in schemes that used forged quitclaim deeds to steal vacant homes. The fraudulent titles were voided through civil litigation.

Then

Some convictions and voided titles, but the process took years of court battles.

Now

Highlighted how paper-only property theft often requires slow court action to undo.

Why this matters now

The Sea Cliff case rests on the same mechanism: forged, fraudulently notarized deeds transferring ownership on paper.

2024

Georgia Squatter Reform Act (2024)

Georgia and several other states passed laws allowing police to remove unauthorized occupants quickly. Georgia's version gives an accused squatter 72 business hours to produce a valid lease or proof of residence before facing arrest and removal.

Then

Law enforcement can now eject suspected squatters without a full eviction case.

Now

The laws shifted the burden of proof onto occupants in several states.

Why this matters now

California considered similar bills in 2026 but neither passed, leaving San Francisco to pursue the slower tax-auction route.

2026

California's failed anti-squatting bills (2026)

Two bills to speed squatter removal died in Sacramento. Sen. Tom Umberg's bill passed committees but never reached a floor vote; Assemblymember Carl DeMaio's bill failed with three Democrats opposing.

Then

No new state law streamlined property-owner remedies.

Now

Local governments are left to improvise, as San Francisco is doing with its auction.

Why this matters now

The auction is a workaround for a state legislature that declined to act.

Sources

(10)
+4
The San Francisco Standard ABC7 News SFist City and County of San Francisco San Francisco Board of Supervisors (Legistar) Realtor.com Real Estate Auction Report The San Francisco Standard The San Francisco Standard The San Francisco Standard