Appeal and bankruptcy is a legitimate threat that can drag out the process for months.

Look up the multifamily trade associations for contacts and start calling using the phone,e-mail,etc. to make headway.Got to your local investor association.

I have no such luck after speaking with numerous community and local bank associates here in Atlanta.  

That's the local real estate investors association for Nashville, and it is very active with events every week.  

Just jump in, do a lot of reading, and associate yourself with experts.

Check out your Local REIA (Real Estate Investors Association)

Get a realtor and ask them to send you the associated documents on the property.

You could allow applicants to enter without supervision and this would be fine until you have that one person that causes a problem, like squatting, and then you will realise how reckless a decision it is to allow a stranger into a property worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars unsupervised.The reality is that if a owner does not want to do the work or is not interested in doing the work associated with operating their business it would be wise to either hire a responsible property management company or sell.As some have indicated there are simple and cost effective ways to do it but safe is not possible.

@John Jacobs, we have a few of our Associates in FL who have done successful "terms," deals. 

Lot of hassle and cost associated with it.