Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas today urged 15,865 property owners whose $56 million in unpaid taxes have been sold to redeem quickly to avoid the danger of losing their homes, businesses or land.

Pappas said the owners can find out if their taxes have been sold by visiting her website at cookcountytreasurer.com and entering their Property Index Number (PIN) after clicking in a red box on the home page titled "Find out if your property taxes have been sold." They will:

• See whether the taxes on their home or other property had been sold, and
• Be given a link to the County Clerk's Office to arrange redemption (paying back the sold taxes).

At the recent Annual Tax Sale, tax buyers purchased $56 million in unpaid taxes on 15,865 properties. The unpaid taxes were on property tax bills for Tax Year 2014, which were issued and due in 2015.