Tickets for San Francisco’s annual condo lottery go on sale Monday. And there’s something you should know, as per my friends at Plan C: The City may be denying additional lottery tickets to buildings that qualify with the minimum qualifications. (Generally, this means one owner-occupied unit for each of the last three years in 2-4 unit buildings, and three owner-occupied units for each of the last three years in 5-6 unit buildings.)
Historically, lottery priority and the issuance of additional tickets have required that one of the qualifying owner-occupants have been owners (but not necessarily occupants) during each of the previous lottery losses.
The change for the last couple of years and for 2010 is that the Department of Public Works (DPW) appears to have a new interpretation of written law. To establish priority credit (additional tickets), DPW is requiring that each of the qualifying owner-occupants be the same original owner occupants that were unsuccessful in past lotteries.
Simply put, your building might qualify for the 2010 lottery and receive one ticket, but unlike in years past, may not be entitled to additional tickets based upon unsuccessful previous lottery participation.
Plan C is reaching out to see if there are other TIC groups where this situation is likely to have an impact. If you’re facing the same issue, or would face this issue if one of your fellow TIC co-owners were to sell their interest, let Plan C know and they’ll put you in contact with other similarly situated people. Send them an e-mail at info@plancsf.org.