A 26 metre houseboat named Sierra Rose has been sold at a court-ordered auction in California. Lying in the Tahoe Keys Marina, the vessel was offered for sale "as-is, where-is" by the district court and is now under new ownership following a winning bid of $520,000.
Sierra Rose was built in 2005 in Idaho by Fred Finney and was billed as the largest non-commercial yacht on Lake Tahoe. Spanning four decks, she is home to three bedrooms, a firepit, a helicopter landing pad and a large country-style kitchen with an island and breakfast bar. The vessel made headlines in the local papers after making an appearance in the opening episode of ABC's Modern Family season nine entitled "Lake Life".
The auction of the 222GT vessel was conducted by Apple Auctioneering Co on behalf of the United States Marshals Service after the yacht was taken into custody by federal marshals in July 2020.
The dispute arose when “Sierra Rose LLC entered into a financing agreement for the construction of the Vessel by the terms of which the Lenders would advance funds as needed for the construction of the Vessel up to the amount of four million dollars,” the court documents read.
In 2012, the yacht’s tank deck was completely underwater while the second level was partially submerged. Sierra Rose underwent a restoration project to fix the damage.
The online auction opened on May 31 and closed on June 14. An undisclosed reserve sum was set and a $10,000 pre-bid deposit was required by each bidder.