In any case in which a county has taken a lien against real property owned by a recipient of public assistance for any purpose, including hospitalization or medical care furnished to the recipient, and such lien is subordinate to a mortgage or deed of trust on the property, the county, upon learning of the pending sale of the property in connection with the foreclosure of that mortgage or deed of trust, shall notify the recipient if it has no intention of bidding at the sale or redeeming the property and agrees to subordinate its liens to any subsequent mortgage or deed of trust on the real property so long as the title thereto remains in the name of the recipient.