Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ 2022 Scavenger Sale will look different as the Treasurer’s Office takes steps to help small developers, homeowners and investors rebuild neighborhoods and create generational wealth. Under Illinois law, the Treasurer’s Office is required to conduct a Scavenger Sale every two years, offering at auction the taxes on properties with three or more years of delinquent taxes. The Sale is scheduled to take place February 14 – March 2.

How the Scavenger Sale works

A property’s unpaid taxes are sold for cash bids. The minimum bid is $250. The amounts bid typically are significantly less than the total amount of delinquent taxes and interest due. The highest bidder wins a lien on the property. If the current property owner does not redeem (pay) the delinquent taxes within a certain time period (typically 2 ½ years for residential properties and six months for commercial properties and vacant lots), the tax buyer can petition the Circuit Court of Cook County for a deed to take ownership of the property. Tax buyers do not pay delinquent taxes on a property. However, after the sale but prior to getting a deed, the buyer must pay whatever taxes went unpaid after the Scavenger

Sale. Bidder registration for the sale will take place January 14, 2022 – February 4, 2022. For more information, visit cookcountytreasurer.com