Pappas: Pay Before Annual Tax Sale Begins June 5

The names of some 37,500 Cook County property owners who owe about $102.5 million in property taxes that should have been paid in 2006 are being published in community newspapers, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

The Annual Tax Sale, an auction of unpaid taxes, begins June 5, 2007,and Pappas urged the property owners to pay to avoid interest and penalties that increase costs if their unpaid taxes are sold.

Delinquency payments are made only by certified check, cashier's check or money order, and cash is acceptable when paying in person. No personal, company or business checks are accepted. Payments can be made at:

• More than 290 Chase Bank locations throughout Chicagoland, on or before June 1, 2007.
• The Treasurer's Office, 118 N. Clark St., Suite 112, Chicago, 60602, prior to the sale date, in person or by mail.

To determine if they owe tax year 2005 taxes (due in 2006), property owners should have their 14-digit Property Index Number and:

• Visit Pappas' website at www.cookcountytreasurer.com, or
• Call 312.443.5100, any time or day, for information in English, Polish or Spanish.

The Sale will be conducted from June 5 through June 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until the day’s offerings are completed. Unpaid bills in the County’s 30 suburban townships will be offered first, followed by Chicago’s eight townships.

The schedule, available on the Treasurer's website at www.cookcountytreasurer.com, is:

June 5 – Barrington, Berwyn, Bloom, Bremen.
June 6 – Bremen, Calumet, Cicero, Elk Grove, Evanston, Hanover.
June 7 – Hanover, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, New Trier.
June 8 – Niles, Northfield, Norwood Park, Oak Park, Orland, Palatine, Palos, Proviso.
June 11 – Proviso, Rich, River Forest, Riverside, Schaumburg, Stickney, Thornton.
June 12 – Thornton.
June 13 – Thornton, Wheeling, Worth, Hyde Park.
June 14 – Hyde Park.
June 15 – Hyde Park, Jefferson.
June 18 – Jefferson, Lake.
June 19 – Lake.
June 20 – Lake.
June 21 – Lake, Lake View.
June 22 – Lake View, North Chicago, Rogers Park, South Chicago.
June 25 – South Chicago, West Chicago.
June 26 – West Chicago.