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[Brock W.]

Hello All-

So I recently purchased a condo (2/2 1k sq ft ground floor apartment) at foreclosure auction here in Wilmington NC.  It  was quite inexpensive so I feel good about that, BUT  I have two concerns and would love some perspective and insight.

1- The prior owner of legal record has died.  Her son "lives" in it and according to the neighbors refuses to leave.  He has ignored eviction warnings in the past and despite having his water and electric disconnected he maintains some measure of residency, as does his large pit bull type dog.  Evidently, he buys retail water and trucks his waste out the door in a plastic bucket.     This is not a tenant/landlord circumstance so I'm not sure what my legal obligation is (looking into that now).   The dog complicates breaking in and changing the locks.  I am considering a "Pay him to leave" scenario as well but wondering what the going rate and structure of that might look like.     

2- This is an ongoing problem, an as a result, the HOA dues in this condo complex are way behind. What, if any ways have you all dealt with, mitigated this issue? The condo board seems desperate to get him out, can that be used to my advantage vis a vis the looming HOA lien on the property? Can I negotiate the terms of the lien repayment.

Is hiring an attorney worth it?  If so, what type of attorney am i looking at?

Thanks for reading-  I appreciate any advice.