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From the Cook County Assessor:
What to do if You are Missing an Exemption
If you are missing an exemption that you believe you are eligible for, then you can apply for what is known as a Certificate of Error to correct your Property Tax Bill. Submit your online application immediately to have your missing exemptions applied. As a reminder, you are responsible for paying the entirety of your Property Tax Bill by the deadline date. If you or your mortgage company paid the original amount due, you will receive a refund check in the mail once your application is processed.
Receive Your Bill and Take These Steps
1. Check your bill to see if your expected exemption is included.
2. Apply for a Certificate of Error immediately if an exemption is missing.
3. Receive a corrected Property Tax Bill in the mail.
Avoid The 2022 Tax Sale
Thousands of Cook County property owners who owe less than $1,000 risk having their tax debt auctioned at an Annual Tax Sale that begins Tuesday, Dec. 10, Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.
To find out if your property is on the Annual Tax Sale list:
Go to cookcountytreasurer.com
Use the purple box on the home page labeled “Your Property Tax Overview” and search using an address or Property Index Number (PIN)
A banner with an urgent warning will appear if your property is on the Annual Tax Sale list
The four-day Annual Tax Sale that begins Dec. 10 is for Tax Year 2022 bills that were due in 2023. By law the Annual Tax Sale is held within 13 months of the Second Installment due date, which was Dec. 1, 2023 for Tax Year 2022.
Owners of 51,811 properties owe more than $207 million in taxes that were due in 2023. Of those, 28,541 owe more than $1,000 while 23,270 owe less than $1,000, including owners of 16,181 properties in Chicago and 7,089 parcels in suburban Cook County.
“The threat of having your delinquent taxes auctioned at the Annual Tax Sale should be a powerful motivator to pay your bill,” Pappas said. “Once a tax buyer acquires your debt you must redeem your delinquent taxes or you could lose your home.”
The Treasurer’s Office sent certified letters to owners of properties on the Annual Tax Sale list. However, each year the U.S. Postal Service returns thousands of certified notices because property owners have not kept their mailing addresses up to date or because a property is vacant or abandoned.
If an owner does not redeem taxes sold at the Annual Tax Sale a tax buyer could take possession of the property itself. The process takes about two and a half years for residences and about a year for commercial properties.
In addition to certified mailings the Treasurer’s Office published lists of properties with delinquencies tax lists in local newspapers. A list of properties on the Annual Tax Sale list is posted at cookcountytreasurer.com.
Property owners who pay their late taxes before the Annual Tax Sale can avoid paying fees and additional interest charges. Payment can be made in five ways:
Online for free at cookcountytreasurer.com
In person at any Chase Bank location in Illinois
In person at any of more than 100 community banks where you have an account
By mail
In person at the Treasurer’s Office
By law, the Treasurer's Office cannot and does not give legal advice related to tax sales. Property owners are strongly advised to seek an attorney's advice relating to any sale of taxes.
Property Fraud Prevention
The Cook County Clerk's Office has a dedicated Property Fraud Unit that focuses on the prevention and investigation of property fraud. Property owners should always be on alert for potential Property or Recording fraud against their home or properties. Fraudsters can target homes paid-for homes that have no mortgage and file forged documents with a county recorder.
Once the document is recorded, it is up to the homeowner to petition the court, at their own expense, to get a court order to have the fraudulent recording removed. Selling the home or trying to obtain a mortgage or a refinancing can be impossible until the fraud issue is resolved.
We offer a free Property Fraud Alert that will call or email you any time a document is recorded against your property, or the property of a loved one.
If you receive an alert and/or are concerned about fraud, please contact our Property Fraud Unit at [email protected], and our staff will help research the problem and coordinate a law enforcement response where indicated.