You are best to have an option contract  which gives the buyer the right to purchase at an agreed upon strike price (or an agreed upon mechanism for setting the strike price at the time of exercise) and a separate lease agreement (using the standard form of lease in many Provinces) at market rent.   

Seeing it had accomplished nothing but failure...

Failure to do so could wind up in a very hefty lawsuit.  

Mechanics lien?

If there is a will, a beneficiary deed or some other mechanism that transferred ownership then you need to find out who the owner is and work with them.  

I am a full time mechanic for restaurants so I know how to fix almost anything and everything in a house which is good and helpful.

I have not engaged private money lenders before, and need some advice on the mechanics of engaging a private money partner.  

@Brian GibbonsThe lease-option is mentioned and it's pretty clear, if it's a "financing agreement" then you have to look that up, which is basically anything that can be devised by man or beast under the sun within the jurisdiction of Federal Law that reduces an agreed sale price by periodic payments and that is secured by the property sold or may cause title not to be passed in the event of failure of making such payments.

Has anyone had experience with HVAC system failures due to electrical storms. 

Further, expecting a title agent to be competent in loan files is a wish waiting for failure.