Cook County Property-Tax Basics November 11, 2026 7 min read

9,481 Cook County properties were eligible for the December 2026 tax sale. How it works, and how to stop it

9,481 Cook County properties were eligible for the December 2026 tax sale, fewest since at least 1994. How the sale works and the steps that stop it.

Check my exemptions Check my property More guides

On November 6, 2026, the Cook County Treasurer reported that 9,481 properties were eligible for the annual tax sale set for December 15, 2026. That is the first time since at least 1994 that the number fell below 10,000. 5,092 were in Chicago and 4,389 in the suburbs. 2,737 of them owed less than $1,000.

Even after a sale, the Clerk notes, most people pay their late taxes rather than lose their property. If you are behind now, the process is slower than its name suggests, and there are clear steps that stop it.

Quick Answer

Unpaid Cook County property taxes add interest every month: 0.75% a month for tax year 2023 and later. If a tax year is still unpaid at the Treasurer's annual tax sale, an investor can buy the right to collect it. That does not hand over the house. You keep it by paying the Clerk the taxes, interest, the buyer's penalty and fees within about three years for a home. To stay out of the sale, pay that year's taxes and interest in full before it. Check first for missing exemptions, which may get a property removed from the sale, and for refunds the Treasurer is holding for you.

The timeline in plain words

Stage	What happens
Due date passes	Interest starts: 0.75% a month for tax year 2023 and later, 1.5% a month for earlier years.
Warning	The Treasurer mails a certified notice and publishes a list of delinquent properties in local newspapers and online.
Annual tax sale	Investors bid on the unpaid taxes for one tax year. The Treasurer says state law normally requires the sale within 13 months of the second-installment due date.
Redemption period	You can still pay off the sold taxes through the Cook County Clerk. For a home, the deadline is about three years from the sale. For vacant land, commercial property and buildings of seven or more units, it is one year.
Tax deed	If the sold taxes are never paid off, the buyer can go to court to take the property.

The sales can run late. The December 15, 2026 sale was for tax year 2023 taxes, which were due in 2024. The Treasurer says lawmakers delayed it twice to give owners more time, and interest was frozen during those delays.

There is also a scavenger sale for property with three or more years of unpaid taxes. A 2023 law made it optional, so it happens only when the Cook County Board orders one.

What a tax buyer actually gets

A tax buyer pays your overdue taxes and gets a lien, a legal claim on the property. They do not get the house, and you still own it.

Buyers bid on the penalty they will charge you. The lowest bid wins. That penalty grows every six months until you pay, and fees are added on top. The Treasurer also warns that if you leave later bills unpaid, the buyer can pay those too and charge you for them.

To pay off sold taxes, you order an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption from the Clerk. The Clerk says it takes no partial payments and no payment plans for this step, so the full amount is due at once. Paying sooner costs less.

A 2026 state law is changing what comes after. The Treasurer says it returns any equity left after taxes, interest and fees to the former owner when a property is finally sold at auction. It also ends private tax buying in Cook County after six more sales, expected to finish around 2030. After that the county will hold the liens and plans to offer payment plans before any auction.

Steps that stop it

Check your status. On the Treasurer's site, the "Your Property Tax Overview" box takes a PIN or address. The Treasurer says a warning banner appears if your property is on the sale list. The Clerk's delinquent tax search shows unpaid or sold taxes from earlier years.
Check for missing exemptions first. The Treasurer says properties missing exemptions may be eligible for removal from the sale. If a homeowner or senior exemption is missing, apply to the Assessor. For past years, the Assessor's refund process (it calls it a Certificate of Error) can correct recent bills. See missing exemptions from prior years.
Look for a refund on your PIN. The Treasurer lists $105 million in overpaid taxes waiting to be claimed. If some of it is yours, that is money toward the bill.
Pay in full before the sale. Paying online with a bank account is free. The Treasurer takes online and in-person payments until the day before your taxes are offered. Only full payment of that year's taxes and interest keeps them out of the sale.
Spread it out early. The Treasurer says state law bars it from offering formal payment plans, but it accepts partial payments. Its free Payment Plan Calculator, for late balances over $100, builds a schedule of once- or twice-a-month payments, giving up to 13 extra months before the sale. Start as soon as you fall behind.
If a lender pays your taxes, ask it for proof of payment and check that it paid the right PIN. If you just bought the home, ask your closing attorney who was supposed to pay.
Use the programs you qualify for. Seniors 65 and older with household income of $75,000 or less, who have owned and lived in the home for three years, can defer up to $7,500 a year through a state loan, but only if no taxes are already overdue, and the deadline is March 1 each year. Active-duty military can defer taxes that come due during service and for 180 days after release, and the Treasurer says it waives interest for 180 days.
Name a backup. The Treasurer's free third-party notification program sends a copy of any delinquency notice to a relative or friend you choose.
Lower future bills. An appeal does not erase taxes already due, but a lower assessment means smaller bills ahead. See your property has two appeal windows.

If your taxes were already sold

Order the Clerk's Estimate of the Cost of Redemption and pay it as early as you can. The estimate shows the amount and the dates it goes up.

If you believe the taxes should never have been sold, contact the Treasurer about a "sale in error." It lists the grounds: the taxes were paid before the sale, a county office made an error (other than a judgment about value), your full and timely payment was not applied, a bankruptcy case was filed before the sale, or the property is owned by a government body. Not receiving a notice is not one of them.

Where Censum fits

Censum's exemption check shows which exemptions are on your home, so you can catch a missing one that makes your bill too high and, the Treasurer says, may make the property eligible for removal from the sale. If exemptions were missing in past years, Censum can prepare the Assessor's refund filing, or you can file the county's free form yourself. For future bills, the free appeal check shows your appeal odds and your township's window. Censum does not handle tax sale redemptions.

The numbers behind this article

The 9,481 total, the 5,092 Chicago and 4,389 suburban counts, the 2,737 owing under $1,000 and the "fewest since at least 1994" comparison are the Treasurer's own figures from its November 6, 2026 news release. The Treasurer counted them on the day of its release, so the number at the sale itself can differ. The $105 million refund figure is from the Treasurer's homepage, read November 11, 2026.

FAQ

Do I lose my house if my taxes are sold?

Not right away. A buyer gets a claim on the property, not the property. For a home you have about three years from the sale to pay it off through the Clerk.

How much does late payment cost?

For tax year 2023 and later, 0.75% a month, or 9% a year. If the taxes are sold, the buyer's penalty and fees are added, and they grow the longer you wait.

Can I set up a payment plan?

Not a formal one, under current state law. The Treasurer accepts partial payments, and its free Payment Plan Calculator builds a schedule. Only full payment before the sale keeps that year's taxes out of it.

Can a missing exemption take my property off the sale?

It can. The Treasurer says properties missing exemptions may be eligible for removal. Check your exemptions and apply to the Assessor right away.

What is the scavenger sale?

A separate sale for property with three or more years of unpaid taxes. Since a 2023 law, it is held only if the Cook County Board orders it.

Will an appeal stop the sale?

No. An appeal can lower future assessments, but taxes already due must still be paid.

Sources

Sources accessed November 11, 2026.

Next step

Before you pay a late bill, make sure it carries every exemption you are owed. Check my exemptions

Censum LLC is a data and analytics company, not a law firm and not a tax advisor. Censum is independent and is not affiliated with Cook County or any government agency.