How to find out when a notice of foreclosure has been filed

[Udele Tagoe]

Hello all.

I'd appreciate your input. I am a new investor working to secure my first wholesale deal in South Jersey. I have a few questions. A little background on the property: it is owned free and clear and is in tax default. Apparently a notice of default was served, but the owner does not know when exactly he received it, nor does he know exactly when it will be foreclosed on. Additionally, the deed of the house is in his father's name (now deceased) and it was inherited by the son (who I'm calling the owner, and who lives there) and his two siblings. He is attempting to sell the property to pay off the lien and have some $$ for him and his siblings to split as opposed to getting nothing if the home goes to tax sale. Here are my questions:

1. Since the owner does not know, how do I find out when the notice of default was served and how long before the home is officially foreclosed on

2. Can I even sign a contract with any of the siblings when the home is not in any of their names? Does the home have to be transferred into one of their names BEFORE it can be sold? How long does it take to do this? (BTW, the owner is completely broke to the point where he had all utilities in the home turned off at least for the past year bc he cannot afford to pay them. So I don't even think he can pay an attorney to take care of this).

3. Apparently, the lien is a tax/water/sewer lien, and according to the owner, there are no other lien's on the property, but would it be prudent to get a title search on the home? How much does it cost to get one? I know other liens would certainly affect whether this is a good deal or not. Is this something that is done before even getting the home under contract?

4. I visited the property yesterday. It is in pretty bad disrepair, with the biggest and most obvious issue being the mold that is in every room of the entire lower level of the home (it's a 5BR, 2BA (~2000 sq ft) split level - lower level has one bath, living area, 2BR, storage space and utility room). The lower level is completely uninhabitable. Through my research, it seems that mold remediation for a home about 1500sq ft can run 2K-5K. Is this something that I should have an inspector look at before making an offer?

Lots of questions, I know. But I'd appreciate your guidance. Thanks!

Udele