Pappas: Last Chance for 45,000 Property Owners to Pay $142 Million in Delinquent Taxes to Avoid Sale
The clock is running out on 45,000 property owners to pay delinquent Cook County property taxes totaling $142 million that will be offered for auction at the Annual Tax Sale that begins May 3, 2019, Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.
The Tax Sale is for homes, businesses and land with unpaid bills for Tax Year 2017 (originally due in 2018). It is the first step in a process that can end with the loss of property.
“Your home is your most important investment,” Pappas said. “Don’t let a simple mistake like forgetting to pay your taxes threaten it.”
Enter your address at cookcountytreasurer.com to:
- Apply for $43 million in missing senior citizen property tax exemptions
- Search for $86 million in available refunds
- Find out if your home is on the Tax Sale List for May 3
Among the properties with delinquent taxes:
- About 19,000 owners may be unaware of the Tax Sale because the U.S. Postal Service has returned their bills and subsequent notices
- Nearly 19,000 owe $1,000 or less
- About 1,000 homes are probably owned by senior citizens
- As many as 500 seniors would see their homes removed from the Tax Sale if they applied for property tax exemptions they received last year
