Local sheriffs could be selling fewer foreclosed homes

SPRINGFIELD — Some local sheriff offices could handle fewer foreclosure sales under a plan that’s moving through Springfield and contested hotly by some local counties.

Legislation approved by the Illinois House Thursday would ensure banks have the choice between a private company and a sheriff when they decide how to sell a house they’ve foreclosed on. In most counties, judges already give banks the option.

But local officials in Lake County had been opposing the plan, saying judges should get to make that call. In Lake County, judges have been assigning most sales to the sheriff’s office.

Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, argued that companies sell the houses more quickly, leading to fewer distressed homes in neighborhoods.

“They’re mowing the lawns, they’re raking the leaves,” Lang said of new owners.

“It increases property values for everyone,” he added.

Like the companies, the sheriff’s offices collect a fee for each sale. And Rep. Sidney Mathias, a Buffalo Grove Republican, said those fees are helpful for local officials operating on tight budgets.

“Our counties really do need the money,” Mathias said.

The legislation was approved by a 60-49 vote and now moves to the Senate.