What State are you in?
You can pay the taxes on the home and the home will be caught up as far as taxes go. However, the owner can then pay his/her taxes and the county/city govt. will repay you back what you paid in taxes plus the interest, which may go as high as 16%.
While you can get homes like that when the owner does not eventually pay, some people use it as a way to get a return on their money.