Clearing title after tax sale in Louisiana

[Jordan Clayson]

My mom owns 50% of my grandfather's estate.   The other 50% was inherited by my mom's step-nephew after my mom's brother passed away.  My mom's step nephew stopped paying the taxes and his 50% was sold to me at a tax sale.  I was told by the clerk in the courthouse to pay taxes on it for five year and that portion of the property would be mine.  

My mom and I both want to sell the property.   We were concerned with clearing the title on the 50% that I acquired through the tax sale. We spoke to two different real estate attorneys.  One stated that the easiest way would be to get a straw buyer.  The other said that we needed to quiet the title.  He stated that quieting the title can be expensive and he would need a $5,000 retainer just to get started, and that it could take months and potentially cost much more than that.  The property is in rural Louisiana only worth about $60,000.

We do not know where the step nephew lives or how to contact him.  Last we heard was that he moved to Texas.  This makes a straw buyer or quieting the title more complicated.  What options do I really have?  Ideally I would want the title cleared without costing an arm and a leg.