If a piece of property is going to the sheriffs sale

To get title to the property, it would have to go to sheriff sale. If it's a desirable property, there will be others there ready and willing to bid on it. If it's undesirable, the bank will buy it for the value of the note and then try to sell it quickly. You might be able to buy it from the bank.

No. You don't have to assume the debtor's note. After the sheriff's sale you get the property free and clear of all encumbrances. If the mortgage holder wants to protect its interest, they can bid to buy the property for the amount of the mortgage. If someone bids higher, the lien holder gets paid off the top. If you are interested in assuming the note, you would have to make a deal with the debtor and creditor before the sheriff's sale.

Is this s tax sale or a foreclosure. Different rules apply.

Really? Who do you buy it from before the sale? The owner? It’s still subject to the sheriff sale. The bank? They don’t own it yet. You could buy the debt, but would still need the sheriff sale to get title in your name.

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if it’s a tax sale all you have to do is pay the taxes and fees. the sheriff doesn’t want the house he wants the tax

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It’s unlikely this is a tax sale. It sounds like the borrower didn’t pay the note. The bank wants to get paid or will bid the amount it is owed.

The bank has no title, so you have to purchase from the owner. However, you would have to pay off the bank who has already foreclosed, so you would need to work with them too. If the owner is an investor the bank may be working with them already. If it's someone's home, that is going to be a difficult process stopping the sale. Bank will generally only bid up to the note, so it's possible you can get a decent deal via sheriff sale if note is less than property value. At the sale, you have to be able to come up with the $ within a few hours of the auction.

"Really? Who do you buy it from before the sale? The owner? It’s still subject to the sheriff sale. The bank? They don’t own it yet. You could buy the debt, but would still need the sheriff sale to get title in your name."
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Yes, you buy it from the owner if he's willing. The mortgage company will cancel the sale if paid off.

If at sale, the mortgagee will typically bid the back amount which may or may not include interest plus attorney costs. Sometimes they do not, they bid less so they don't have to deal with the costs to fix up, hold, and pay realtor fees.