Last Chance To Pay Unpaid Cook County Property Taxes Before Sale

CHICAGO — Property owners with unpaid Cook County property taxes will have their delinquent balances offered up for auction at the annual tax sale starting Friday. About 45,000 property owners owe close to $142 million in unpaid bills to the county, Treasurer Maria Pappas announced Wednesday.

"Your home is your most important investment," Pappas warned. "Don't let a simple mistake like forgetting to pay your taxes threaten it."

The tax sale is the first step in a process that can result in the eventual loss of property. It will auction off money owed on homes, land and businesses who have unpaid money from bills for property taxes from Tax Year 2017, originally due last year. If money is still owed after a redemption period that can last from six months to three years, property owners risk losing the deed, according to the Cook County Clerk.

Of those on the list, almost 19,000 homeowners owe less than $1,000 in unpaid taxes. About the same amount may not be aware of the sale because of returned bills and notices from the U.S. Postal Service, according to the treasurer's office. About 1,000 are likely owned by seniors, and as many as 500 of them could see their homes removed from the list if they applied for the same property tax exemptions they received the prior year.

Pappas' office said property owners can enter their address online to find out if their homes are on the May 3 tax sale list. Residents can also apply for $43 million in missing senior citizen property tax exemptions or look for $86 million in available refunds.

Find out more from the Cook County Treasurer's Office