Pappas Advises 62,300 Delinquent Owners to Pay Before Tax Sale Begins

The names of some 62,300 Cook County property owners who owe about $203.9 million in taxes that should have been paid in 2008 are being published in local newspapers, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

The Annual Tax Sale, an auction of unpaid taxes, begins July 16 and ends July 21. Delinquent taxes purchased at the auction require interest and penalties to redeem, and homeowners can lose their properties if the taxes remain unpaid. Pappas urged property owners to check published lists or visit cookcountytreasurer.com to ensure that their taxes are paid.

Delinquency payments are made 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. Payment can be made at:

• More than 330 Chase Bank locations throughout Chicagoland, on or before July 1, 2009.
• The Treasurer's Office, 118 N. Clark St., Suite 112, Chicago, 60602, prior to the sale date, in person or by mail.

The Sale will be conducted from July 16 through July 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., via a website using the services of Realauction.com. Unpaid taxes in the County's 30 suburban townships will be offered first, followed by Chicago's eight townships.

The schedule, available on cookcountytreasurer.com, is:

• July 16 - Barrington, Berwyn, Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Cicero, Elk Grove, Evanston, Hanover, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, New Trier, Niles, Northfield, Norwood Park, Oak Park, Orland.
• July 17 - Palatine, Palos, Proviso, Rich, River Forest, Riverside, Schaumburg, Stickney, Thornton, Wheeling, Worth, Hyde Park
• July 20 - Hyde Park, Jefferson, Lake
• July 21 - Lake, Lake View, North Chicago, Rogers Park, South Chicago, West Chicago