In July, we told you about a $500,000 lake house that has been sitting empty for five years, its owner mysteriously disappearing leaving the home fully furnished with food in the refrigerator and even dishes in the sink. Now the mystery has come to an end.

The owner, Tony Basso, finally reappeared, just in time to try and save the house from being claimed by the county. Taxes haven't been paid on the home at 3500 Lake Shore Drive in St. Joseph, Michigan in three years.

Friday, Basso was in court trying to get a relief from foreclosure, but there were so many questions to be answered. Where has Basso been all this time?

Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witowski, said "Something like this is unique. We foreclose about 200 properties a year, and we've been doing it for 10 years and this is far from the norm."

Tony Basso says he left his son Rocco in charge of his property when he left for Italy to take care of his sick sister. While there, he says she passed away. Then his own health took a turn for the worse, causing him to be bedridden in Italy for two years.

However, about a month ago Tony got devastating news. The lake house hadn't been cared for at all. The county had been trying to contact Tony or Rocco but letters sent to addresses in Chicago and at the lake house went unanswered. Tony had left Rocco in charge of all of his mail. So he never knew that the home was being left in ruin.

So with no word from either owner listed on the deed, the county proceeded with attempts to claim the house. That's when Tony finally came back to fight for the property he didn't even know he was losing. Witowski said, "He had not made contact with us until August when we met him for the first time, which was three and a half months after the foreclosure date."

The judge in Friday's trial sided with Basso ruling that because of his health problems he was legally incapacitated. This means Basso gets to keep the home as long as the amount he owes the county is paid in full by October 1st of this year.

Including taxes, outstanding utility payments and maintenance fees from the county, Basso must pay around $40,000 by the October 1st deadline.

The home also has suffered mold and other damages in the time that it's been left unattended to. It's estimated the cost to repair it could be around $100,000.

Basso says he plans to return to Italy, but not until he makes sure the lake house is well on it's way to being restored.