Officials urge state to extend delinquent property tax sale deadline for Cook County homeowners

COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, and other elected officials, are urging the Illinois General Assembly to give homeowners more time to pay their delinquent property taxes.

Nearly 58,000 property owners must pay more than $188 million before the Annual Tax Sale on May 8, according to Pappas' office.

In 2014, the legislature shortened the time period from 12-months to the current 9-month deadline. The new bill would extend the 9-month deadline to 13-months to pay delinquent property taxes.

The Annual Tax Sale, which is required by law, imposes a hardship on homeowners, Pappas said in a press release. She said almost 21,000 homeowners may be unaware of the Tax Sale because they didn't receive their bills or notice, another 25,000 owe less than $1,000, and about 2,400 of the homes are owned by senior citizens.

Homeowners can avoid the tax sale by paying delinquent taxes through the website at CookCountyTreasurer.com.

The May 8 Tax Sale is for homes, businesses and land with unpaid bills for Tax Year 2018, which was originally due in 2019.