Understanding Final Judgement & Liens on Foreclosures in FL

[Owais Hassan]

I have been monitoring foreclosure auctions in Pinellas County, FL and I need some help in understanding a few things:

1- In some cases, I see the Final Judgement Amount is pretty low compared to the assessed value of the house. Looking at the Final Judgement paperwork at the county website, all that is listed is things like delinquent HOA fees, interest on pas due payments etc. My question is, are you bidding on the actual house or the delinquent payments even though the auction type is "foreclosure"? If a person wins such an auction, what do they win? The house or you just signed up to pay someone's past due bills?

2- How do you search for liens on a property? I have read a few threads here which suggest that this information is public and can be found on the county website. Can someone please provide more guidance on this?

3- If someone holds a lien on a property but it is not recorded in official documents, what is the legal standing of such a lien if you win the auction and the property comes in your possession?

4- What kind of title does one get upon winning a county foreclosure auction?

I would appreciate your guidance on these questions.

Thanks,

Owais Hassan