The Cook County Annual Tax Sale, at which delinquent property taxes from tax year 2002 go to auction, will be held from May 10 through June 7, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

Delinquent taxes on some 54,000 parcels of property will be offered to tax buyers, and property owners will have two years to redeem the taxes with interest and penalties or face the possible loss of their property.

"I urge anyone who owes back taxes from tax year 2002, which were collected in 2003, to pay before the taxes go to the Tax Sale," Pappas said. "If a property owner whose unpaid taxes are purchased fails to redeem in two years, the tax buyer can ask a court for title to the property."

Registration for the Tax Sale begins April 5 in the Treasurer's Legal Office, Room 222 of the Cook County Building, 118 N. Clark St., Chicago. Qualified tax buyers -- individuals, companies or charitable organizations -- must pay a minimum collateral of $1,000 at least 10 days prior to the first day of their participation in the Sale.

Lists of the Property Index Numbers of the properties on which taxes are owed for tax year 2002 will be available for inspection in the Treasurer's Legal Office, and can be purchased in paper form or on disk for $250 for the Delinquent General Tax List, and $100 each for the Delinquent Special Assessment List and the Weekly Update on Generals List.

The Sale, mandated by Illinois state law, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each business day from Monday, May 10, through Friday, June 7, in Room B of the Lower Level of the Cook County Administration Building, 69 W. Washington St., Chicago. To maintain the daily schedule, the Sale may continue past 4 p.m.

In the Tax Sale, PINs from Cook County's 38 townships are offered on a scheduled basis:

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 and 19 - Thornton.
May 20 - Wheeling, Worth, Hyde Park.
May 21 and 24 - Hyde Park.
May 25 - Jefferson, Lake.
May 26 to June 1 - Lake.
June 2 - Lake View, North Chicago, Rogers Park, South Chicago.
June 3 - South Chicago, West Chicago.
June 4 and 7 - West Chicago.