TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - A man is asking for a refund from Broward County after he thought he bought a home but instead bought a strip of land in a Tamarac neighborhood.
Kerville Holness Jr. said he was looking for a tax deed property to buy so he could flip it and turn it into an investment to help pay for dental school.
“That’s the thing. I have my name tied up on something that I can’t even use,” he said.
It turns out the 28-year-old won the bid for property along 100th Way and spent $9,100, thanks to help from his dad.
“I have no regret putting up the money,” Kerville Holness Sr. said. “What I regret is deception that was had from the county.”
The 28-year-old said he thought he was getting a small home. Instead, he and his father are now the owners of a small strip of land that goes from the front yard, through the property and into the backyard.
The Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office said that by law, they are required to put value on every piece of property, and the strip of land, which is not owned by either of the neighboring units, became available for sale.
“I would never think that something being done through the county itself — not a third-party, this is in-house — that you could still get snagged like this,” Holness Jr. said.
The property appraiser said their website has all the information about the property — including its value, $50 — and the fact that they were bidding on 100 square feet of land. They said they provided the most accurate information under Florida law in a clear and concise way.
“I never expected this from the county. Never,” Holness Sr. said.
The family argued that the tools on the site conflicted with each other, which made it unclear what they were actually buying.
“I want my money back, and I simply want my name off the deed,” Holness Jr. said.
The director of Records, Taxes, and Treasury Division told 7News that the only way they cancel a sale is if there was an administrative issue, and in this case, there was not.
The website suggests people do title and lien searches to understand what they are buying and what may be attached to the sale.
“We could also say, what did you do as a county to just say, ‘You know what? Have you made it fully foolproof that there’s no misunderstanding of what you’re getting?'”
The family said they are looking at their next steps to fight the sale.
A Broward County official told 7News they are working on trying to add an acknowledgement check mark on the website to ensure bidders acknowledge they have read the warning before they move forward in the process.
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