Conflicting Claims Over Boston Land Auction

The Dot Ave. area in South Boston is now the center of a tangled legal battle involving Andrew Collins and several investors. Andrew Collins, who has long tried to turn the land into a life‑science campus, never formally pitched a project to the city. His brother, state Senator Nick Collins, says he has no ties to Andrew’s real‑estate dealings. The land, valued at about $20. 4 million, is listed for foreclosure auction by those who hold its mortgage. A partnership linked to New York firms J. T. Magen & Co. and Extell Development says Collins has no financial stake in the property, while Collins counters that his ownership of certain LLCs entitles him to a share. Last year, a Suffolk Superior Court judge ordered the sheriff to sell the parcels one by one to satisfy an $8. 6 million judgment awarded to investors Divas Pant and Dhiraj Bora. That ruling is now under appeal.Bora and Pant claim that Magen and Extell are colluding to undermine the court order, arguing that a foreclosure sale would erase their ability to collect on the judgment. Their attorneys warned that proceeding with the sale could destroy the Pant/Bora claim, as Collins would likely be unable to meet it except through selling the property. An attorney for Magen and Extell responded that the Pant/Bora judgment is subordinate to the mortgage, so any proceeds from a sale would first pay off the mortgage before reaching those investors. The auction also offers two extra lots that Collins did not assemble, including a drive‑through Dunkin’ Donuts. A company connected to Magen bought those lots in late 2023 for $25 million—over four times their assessed value. Collins plans to contest the auction, with his lawyer stating that action will be taken swiftly to safeguard interests in all related entities. Magen and Extell have until Thursday—just before St. Patrick’s Day—to answer the injunction from Pant and Bora.