Auction.com Property Listed as Vacant but there is full of staff

[Andrew Uyghur]

I have just won an auction.com investment property in Maryland listed as vacant but seems there are a lot of furniture in in. I drove by a few weeks ago and saw an eviction notice envelope taped on the door. Went by yesterday and the notice is no longer there, but the door is shut and there are furniture and staff in the house. Checked the utility, apparently water is turned off by the County 2-3 months ago. Checked the county and the deed is recorded and the Bank owns the property as of 9/20/2019. I am going to close within a month. After the closing,  Should I go ahead and hire a locksmith and change the lock and throw away the staff/furniture in the house? Would it be possible that the owner is still living there although auction.com advertised it as vacant? Any experience and advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Theresa Harris]

They may have left and left all their stuff.  If you have documentation stating it is vacant and no reason to believe otherwise, I'd post a notice a day or two in advance and then order a large dumpster.  The fact that the water is off is a good sign.