In reality, this situation wouldn’t happen the way the movie shows. It’s a movie – they don’t necessarily show reality, you know.

but it makes sense to take her house because she owes $500.??

In my area a person could go around 3 to 4 yrs before the house is sold and the owner is kicked out,, the county would sell it for taxes and interest due,, not a dime more,, and even then the owner has a year to come up with all back taxes and buy it back. A lot of houses and land sell every year in this county for taxes due.

They should, but they usually let the property go very cheap some times for the amount of owed Taxes, as long as they get their Tax, who cares about the owner.