Who's Paying Property Taxes

The problem of banks not taking financial responsibility for the properties they foreclose on continues to grow. In this blog post from NPR's Marketplace (Scott Jagow is the author) he discusses the problem.

Is it happening here? I suspect in Prince William and Rappahannock counties the answer is no. Houses are selling so quickly it seems unlikely the bank wouldn't just go ahead and put it on the market.

There are a few properties I've seen in Culpeper and Fauquier county that I've wondered about. They are mostly rural properties on small lots with small houses in very bad condition. The bank supposedly foreclosed many months ago and there's been no sign of it being sold. So, the answer is....maybe.

Given the state of local county budgets, if this is happening seems like it'd be in the county's interest in getting this money. Legally, however, if the bank never transfers the deed, they don't legally own the property.

So, who does? If the owner paid the delinquent taxes could they move back in? If the bank has written off the loss and walked away what's to stop that from happening?