I went to that house today to check on the tenants, well... nada. Nobody was inside. I also found a large Brown Turkey tree on the other side. Not that it is super exciting but it means that somebody at some point in the past cared about the figs.
Will try again in a few days.
I would feel bad to collect the cuttings now. First, I need to talk to the owner and second, every brunch is loaded with figs, there are no 'blanks' where I can reach.