6 houses on 1 lot - is this normal and can I separate them?

[Joe Garbarczyk]

I came across a really great wholesale deal in the Bessemer / Lipscomb area of Birmingham.

However, on the surface - at least to me - the way the land and public records are coming up in my research have me a little confused /concerned if this deal can actually go through. 

Here are the details:

• I am getting a package of 6 houses and 1 empty lot under contract from the seller
• He rents out 5 of the houses to tenants but is letting his brother live in the 6th house for free (he promised his deceased mother he would take care of his brother)
  • Each of the different homes have their own addresses
• When looking in the public records all of the houses are on the same Parcel / Tax ID #
• The seller wants to try to keep the house that his brother lives in out of the deal so his brother has a place to live and is taken care
• The seller lives out of town in southern Alabama and owes at least 2 years of back taxes

So my questions are:

1. Is it normal / legal to have more than 1 home on a single parcel?
2. Will there be any way to separate the 6th house his brother is living in or should we put in the contract that for the next X years he can live there rent free but will have to pay Y for taxes?

I look forward to the advice!