The Annual Tax Sale will begin Monday, May 10, 2004 for delinquent property taxes that originally were due in 2003, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas announced.

Unpaid taxes on 42,500 pieces of property from across Cook County are being offered at the Tax Sale, which is conducted in Room B, Lower Level, of the Cook County Administration Building at 69 W. Washington St., Chicago. As recently as four years ago, the tax sale list was twice as large.

The tax-sale list is the shortest in recent years, thanks partly to enhancements in notices to taxpayers, Pappas said. That includes third-party notices to people who designated a trusted friend be called or alerted if their taxes became delinquent, a program that Pappas launched, and which then became state law for every county in Illinois.

To prevent a delinquency from being sold, the taxes must be paid by certified check, cashier's check or money order at least one business day prior to the taxes being offered at the tax sale.

The Treasurer's Office conducts the Annual Sale by law. In a given calendar year, property taxes are collected for the prior year. Thus, unpaid taxes offered at this Annual Tax Sale are for tax year 2002, originally due March 4, and October 1, 2003. The hours of the sale are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, or until that day's offerings are completed.

Taxpayers may use the Treasurer's Web site at www.cookcountytreasurer.com to see if taxes are delinquent. This Web site also can be used from computers at area libraries. This information also is available in English, Spanish and Polish on the Treasurer's Office's 24-hour automated telephone system at (312) 443-5100.

If any taxpayers believe tax delinquencies are listed in error, they may inquire at the Treasurer's Tax Research Department in the Cook County Building in Room 112 at 118 N. Clark St. in Chicago or call (312) 443-5100 during regular business hours.

Pappas urged those with unpaid taxes to pay before the taxes are offered for sale to avoid a costly redemption - which is the repayment to a tax buyer with substantial interests and fees. Taxpayers have at least two years to redeem before a tax buyer can seek deed to a property in court.

"Please pay to avoid extra costs," Pappas said, adding that her office sent lists of the names of those with unpaid taxes to all 50 Chicago aldermen, the 17 Cook County commissioners and the 30 suburban township assessors so they can urge their constituents to pay their unpaid taxes.

Taxes are offered on a schedule covering the 30 suburban and eight Chicago townships. The schedule:

May 10 - Barrington, Berwyn and Bloom Townships.
May 11 - Bloom and Bremen.
May 12 - Bremen, Calumet, Cicero, Elk Grove and Evanston.
May 13 - Hanover, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, New Trier and Niles.
May 14 - Northfield, Norwood Park, Oak Park, Orland, Palatine, Palos and Proviso.
May 17 - Rich, River Forest, Riverside, Schaumburg, Stickney and Thornton.
May 18 - Thornton.
May 19 - Thornton
May 20 - Wheeling, Worth and Hyde Park.
May 21 - Hyde Park.
May 24 - Hyde Park.
May 25 - Jefferson, Lake.
May 26 - Lake.
May 27 - Lake.
May 28 - Lake.
June 1 - Lake.
June 2 - Lake View, North Chicago, Rogers Park, South Chicago.
June 3 - South Chicago, West Chicago.
June 4 - West Chicago.
June 7 - West Chicago.