Man thought he'd bought a $177k bungalow for $9k but actually got $50 strip of grass

We've all had that awful feeling where we've woken up in the morning and come to the dreaded realisation that we've made yet another stupid online purchase.

But while, for most of us, this will result in an inflatable dartboard or tiny trampoline for our dog, for Kerville Holness it ended with a tiny strip of grass being bought for over $9,000.

The Florida man came away from an online property auction feeling pretty pleased with himself after thinking he had successfully bought a Tamarac villa that was worth $177,100 (£140,639) for $9,100 (£7,000).

Credit: Google Maps

However, he got a harsh reality check when he realised his $9,100 had got him a strip of grass measuring one foot wide and 100-foot long.

The rotten cherry on the cake? The piece of land was only worth $50.

According to Holness, the blunder happened after the property appraiser images were linked to the auction site that showed the villa as the item to be bid on.

However, the appraiser's site, and information on the county's tax site say that the building had no value and detailed the measurements of the land. According to state law, there is nothing the Florida man can do to fix the situation and get his money back.

Credit: Google Maps

Speaking to the Sun Sentinel, Holness expressed his anger, naming the auction "deceptive".

"It's deception," he claimed. "There was no demarcation to show it's just a line going through the [villa duplex], even though they have the tools to show that. If I’m vindictive enough, I can cut right through the garage wall and the home to get to my air space, but what use would that be to me?"

After the costly incident came to light, real estate attorney Gary Singer warned that investors had to "do their research" and that "Tax Deed sales are not for the uninformed".

"He may go to court and find some error in the sale procedure," he told the Sun Sentinel. "Generally speaking, he bought what he was supposed to have bought."

Let this be a cautionary tale to all online shoppers - always look before you buy!

This article originally appeared on VT.co