I have never been a fan of spending public money on such frivolity as artwork, especially when said artwork is so freakin' ugly that you accidently auction it off as $20 hunks of scrap metal.

Cuellar bid on and won four pieces of James Rosati's 1981 sculpture "Upright Form V" that had mistakenly ended up on the auction block with other items the city kept in storage. Now city officials are trying to get it back.

Cuellar showed up at the sale Saturday - held every three years - and casually perused the offerings. He spotted a shiny, 17-inch-long stainless steel piece set atop a stove.

He found two other similar pieces, one inscribed with Rosati's name. A call to a friend was placed, the significance of the find was confirmed and a bid was placed.

And for a mere $20, it was his.

Two other pieces of the sculpture went up for sale later and Cuellar won them for $230. But when Cuellar went to pay for the two others, auction workers realized they were dealing with more than scrap metal. They wouldn't take his money and refused to turn over the remaining pieces of the sculpture.