The D.C. government is auctioning off 13 gas-powered leaf blowers before the city’s ban goes into effect on January 1, 2022.

It’s not uncommon for the city to sell its surplus property at auction — other District items currently listed on the GovDeals website include a street sweeper (there are nine bids already), non-working Dell computers (a hot ticket item with 10 bids), and three pianos (no bids yet and a steal starting at $6).

The sale of the gas-powered leaf blowers indicates that the city is getting rid of its own inventory, prior to the ban. But what about the potentially unsuspecting buyer, who picks up what will soon be illegal to use in the District? (The auction is open to anyone in the country, but the winning bidder must “come prepared to push these out of the facility and load your own truck,” according to the listing.)

On Thursday morning, when DCist/WAMU inquired about the auction item to the D.C. Office of Contracting and Procurement, there was no indication on the listing that using gas-powered leaf blowers would be banned come January. (The agency isn’t legally required to provide that information, though it seems useful to know!) Instead, the description noted that “most items are missing parts” and none of them power on as-is.

Later that afternoon the agency updated the listing  to add on a bold, new disclaimer alerting buyers to the ban. They also provided a statement to DCist/WAMU saying “OCP is committed to full compliance with the upcoming ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the District.”  They noted that the auction for the blowers will close on December 13, well before the ban’s effective date, and added that buyers are responsible for knowing the laws in their jurisdiction when purchasing anything through the Surplus Property Division’s website.

The law, passed in 2018, will bar the use or sale of gas-powered leaf blowers in the District, though there’s an exception for retailers who tell buyers about the ban before the sale takes place.

After the ban goes into effect, people can submit photographic and recorded evidence of any violations to the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for enforcement. Those that don’t follow the law could be subject to a $500 fine per violation.

D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility has a rebate program for businesses and residents to make the switch to electric-powered blowers.

The starting price for the city’s gas-powered leaf blowers at auction is $50.