Charlie,This will vary from state to state, so I would suggest that your friend invest a few hundred bucks in a real estate attorney consultation to find out the procedure and cost.

Mary, since you asked about an auction in California, my answer is limited to CA procedures...this may vary in other states.The borrower that owned the property you were bidding on owed their lender $256K or more.

To take away those rights certain standards must be met and procedures followed.In the case of the squatter, I suspect Mike's experience is tainted by the areas his properties are in.

Just follow the eviction procedure in your state.Good Luck,Mike

Do I do a credit check, make them fill out an application form etc. as a standard procedure?

& Ibrahim SI'm not aware of any state that has procedures like PA.

I was so confused on the procedures, laws, and customs; I wanted my money back from those textbooks.

It's just a matter of adjusting procedures. 

A good set of processes, standard operating procedures (SOP's), and policies can be the difference between a successful, well-oiled machine type of organization and a chaotic, inconsistent, and frustrating one.Their concept of "McDonaldizing" your operation is exactly right.

You need to follow procedure.