Recovering the Earnest Deposit and Tax Auction Overage

[Micah Harris]

When offering on a HUD home, what contingency in the contract would get the deposit back should the closing not happen?

Also, when a house gets sold at a tax auction and there is an overage, is it correct to say the former owner has 3 years to collect it? When the required time has passed, if there is a time, what is the way we, as investors, can help that former owner get the money they are owed?