Florida Tax Deed Sale House Has Tenant

[Stefan K.]

So, I've been investing in tax lien certificates in Florida for a number of years and had only my second tax deed application actually make it to auction today. Being as it's been such a rare occasion, I decide to drive by the house - well, mobile home with it's own lot - this morning on the way to the auction. I know that this was an investor owned mobile so when I see a car in the driveway, I assume it's a tenant. On my drive to the auction, I start to wonder why someone would purchase a mobile for $25K in 2007 as a rental property and then not pay taxes from 2007 through 2012 and let it go to auction for just over $4K. This makes me worry that this is going to be a nightmare situation and for the first time I'm hoping that someone bids on this property and I don't end up with it.

Sure enough, no one else bid and the property is stuck to me. I spoke to one of the other investors I knew from the last time I attended the auction and he told me he had driven by and saw a scary character was living there, which made him decide not to bid on this one. He was worried that it would be a nightmare to get the person out of the house.

I would have been so pumped to get a property at auction without additional bidding. Now I'm looking for advice. What do I do from here? Do I knock on the door and find out the situation? Try to get a new lease signed? Ask nicely if he'll leave? Get a lawyer?

My goal would have been to flip this out to a cash investor for a small profit. But now I don't know what to do.

Sorry about the long story. Thanks in advanace!