Under Illinois law, the Treasurer’s Office is required to conduct two types of tax sales in which delinquent property taxes are sold, the Annual Tax Sale and the Scavenger Sale.
The 2008 Annual Tax Sale has been scheduled to commence at 8:30 a.m. on September 13, 2010. The Annual Sale will be conducted from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day of the sale schedule. At the discretion of the Tax Sale Supervisor, these hours may be extended to accommodate tax buyers placing bids. The Annual Sale includes properties in Cook County eligible for sale due to delinquent Tax Year 2008 property taxes (including, without limitation, general property taxes, back taxes, etc.) and/or delinquent special assessments. A list of properties eligible for sale in the 2008 Annual Tax Sale will be published in community newspapers by township August 4-5, 2010. Properties with delinquent taxes that are eligible for sale may be searched on a Property Index Number (PIN) basis on the Treasurer's website.
Delinquency lists will be available for purchase online at www.cooktaxsale.com (available August 6, 2010) via an ACH debit to a checking or savings account for the following amounts beginning August 6, 2010:
- Delinquent General Real Estate Tax List $250
- Delinquent Special Assessment List $250
After completing an ACH transaction, the list(s) can be downloaded.
The Annual Tax Sale will be conducted utilizing the services of Realauction.com and will be an online internet based sale at www.realauction.com. Registration, deposits of collateral, storing bids to be placed on the day of the sale, and payment of certificates can be made from any computer with access to the internet. However the final placement of bids can only be made from computers located in the Cook County Treasurer’s Office on the days of the sale.
For those individuals who do not have access to a computer for purposes of registration, deposits of collateral, storing bids to be placed on the day of the sale, and payment of certificates, computers with internet access will be available for use in Room 218 of the Cook County Treasurer's Office, 118 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois during regular business hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) for Annual Tax Sale purposes only.
Registration for the Annual Tax Sale begins August 6, 2010. Registration is completed online at www.cooktaxsale.com (available August 6). You may register at any time subsequent to August 6, 2010; provided, that your registration must be completed online and the requisite collateral transaction must be initiated online through an ACH debit to a checking or savings account through September 3, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. CST. Collateral deposits such as letters of credit or bonds must also be submitted in Room 218 of the Cook County Treasurer's Office, 118 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL by September 3, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. CST.
Properties on which delinquent tax liens will be sold are sold “AS IS." The subject parcel’s PIN only, and NOT the common street address, describes the delinquent taxes offered for sale. Street addresses and/or property classifications appearing on the delinquency list are not guaranteed to be accurate. The Treasurer’s Office does not assume any responsibility, implied or otherwise, as to the accuracy of street addresses and/or property classifications, or as to the legal status or condition of properties. It is the responsibility of each buyer to perform proper research to determine the property location, classification, nature, and condition of any property or improvements. ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
The biennial Scavenger Sale (conducted in odd-numbered years), offers taxes on properties that have delinquencies on two or more years that were not purchased at the annual tax sales. In Cook County, the sale has traditionally taken place in the fall or winter months.
For a complete understanding of the distinctions between these sales and how to proceed to tax deed, see 35 ILCS (Illinois Compiled Statutes) 200/1-1, et. seq. This information can be found in any law library.