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.

The 1st floor is a 5000 sq ft former dental office.

I don't know who panishes this, but there is a standard procedure.

No idea, I imagine some rare issue with the first buyer’s account or some internal procedural issue....I wouldn’t spend much time on it.....you could call the clerk’s office if you wanted to.

Let them know the standard procedure and that you are planning to follow it.

I don't know procedures or remedies in your state.

My presumption from the OP was that having had the REC/Installment contract with a proper Escrow Company as a Trustee that proper procedure to recover the equitable interest was done.  

Every state has different rules / procedures, but in some, once a property is sold at a tax deed sale, that is it.

Does anyone have a package of all the docs they typically use for a lease of property, and a typical run through of the procedures they follow and the steps taken from start to finish of the process.