[Hodar]

If the 2nd half of the tax bill was sent to a former owner; then this man should have a legal option to sue his Real Estate Broker. He paid a real estate broker a commission to make certain that this sort of thing would not happen. A tax record and deed search and proper tax filing are standard practice. Also, one would certainly expect that at least one certified letter would have been delivered to the owner. I'm usually suspect of cases where the individual looses his home due to circumstances 'beyond his control'. My experience has been that people refuse to pay tax (or other such obligation), then cry innocence when the penalty phase of their decision is carried out.

[ivegotabrain]

I might be inclined to agree with you, if the gentleman had failed to pay his property taxes in the intervening years. He did not. In fact, he continued to pay his taxes even after his condo had been auctioned off. The government now owes him at least $55,000. (Property tax refund, as well as difference between selling price and back tax with penalties and interest.) Which does not come close to replacing what he lost.