How to find out if your property is on Cook County's tax sale list

Have you paid your Cook County property taxes? You might want to make sure.

If not, your property might be on county Treasurer Marie Pappas' list of delinquent properties included in the county's tax sale, running May 12-18. During the sale, delinquent taxes are auctioned off and a lien placed on the property.

The process ultimately could lead to the loss of a home or property.

More than 37,000 properties are on the list, with more than half - 19,350 properties - owing less than $1,000 in back taxes.

The tax sale covers delinquent property taxes from 2019, which were due in two installments in 2020.

Approximately $175.6 million in unpaid 2019 property taxes are overdue. The properties run the gamut, from homes and businesses to vacant land throughout Chicago (17,709 properties) and the Cook County suburbs (19,467 properties).

Chances are if your property is on the list, you were sent a notice by certified mail. But you may not have received a notice, since the U.S. Postal Service has returned nearly 15,000 bills and subsequent notices, officials said.

"Many residents may be unaware that their property is eligible for the tax sale," Pappas said. "The majority of the taxes offered are for properties in minority communities."

If your property is on the tax sale list, you can have it removed by paying any delinquent taxes and interest before May 12.

Visit cookcountytreasurer.com and click on "Avoid the Tax Sale" to search for your home and learn more information.