Re: This years tax lien sales.

I'd be very suprised if they didn't know, but you may be right.

In the case of foreclosure, which I think this would be similar to, there are state statutes requiring the foreclosing party to notify any beneficiaries who would be at risk of being hurt by the foreclosure and often overturn foreclosures when beneficiaries somehow missed being notified. I would imagine similar statutes exist for tax sales as well, but I don't know of any specifically. Maybe someone else here can point to a statute if it exists.