Each year thousands of property owners in Cook County are late paying their taxes, putting their homes in danger of being included in the annual state-mandated tax sale. That’s a problem we want to help you avoid.

So, since 2005 my office has allowed you to sign up a relative or anyone you choose to receive copies of certified delinquency notices a month before the Annual Tax Sale. That way, you’re more likely to act and prevent your taxes from being sold.

If you register for the Third-Party Notification program, the person you designate will receive a mailed copy of your delinquency notice from my office.

The program is designed for all homeowners and may be particularly helpful for:

• Relatives
• Senior citizens
• People with disabilities or special needs
• People with long-term, serious health issues
• People who are away from their homes for extended periods of time.

You can enroll in the program by downloading a short form at cookcountytreasurer.com. Simply print the form, fill it out and mail it to my office at 118 N. Clark Street, Room 112, Chicago, IL 60602.

The program is a safety net for family members and other trusted individuals and institutions such as churches, temples, mosques or not-for-profit organizations that can also be designated third parties. The program isn’t for use by mortgage companies or banks.

Enroll at any time. However, applications received less than two weeks prior to the mailing of certified notices of delinquent taxes may not be processed before delinquency notifications are mailed.

The Annual Tax Sale must occur about 13 months after your Second Installment tax due date. Once that date is set, my office will send certified notices to property owners whose unpaid tax bills will be auctioned off unless paid in full before the sale.

The third party you designate to receive duplicate copies of delinquency notices assumes no liability for paying your taxes. You, as a property owner, are still responsible. The hope is that the third-party designee will follow up with you to determine whether you received your delinquency notice and are arranging to pay your taxes before they’re offered at the tax sale.

The program renews automatically and is free to all residential property owners. Under state law, there’s a $5 registration fee for nonresidential properties. You may designate only one person or entity to receive third-party notices, and you may cancel at any time.

Registering for the Third-Party Notification program is a simple measure that takes minutes but could prevent hours of aggravation if your taxes are sold.