The Kane County tax sale, Illinois: how it works and where the records are

Each year the Kane County Treasurer offers the county's unpaid property taxes at the annual tax sale in Geneva. Buyers bid on the unpaid taxes, not on the property, and the owner keeps the house while the redemption period runs.

How the Kane County tax sale works

1. Delinquency. Taxes still unpaid after the due dates are listed for the sale, and the list is published beforehand, as Illinois law requires.
2. The sale. At the Treasurer's annual sale, tax buyers bid on the penalty rate the owner will owe if they pay later. The lowest rate wins. The buyer pays the taxes and receives a certificate.
3. Redemption. The owner can redeem by paying the taxes plus the penalty through the Kane County Clerk during the redemption period set by Illinois law. Most owners do.
4. Forfeiture. Taxes nobody bids on are forfeited and recorded as such; they can be bought later.
5. Tax deed. If a certificate is never redeemed, its holder can ask the court for a tax deed after notice to the owner. Only then does ownership change.

Where the official records are

The Kane County Clerk publishes the statutory Judgment, Sale, Redemption and Forfeiture Record, one book per tax year. For each parcel it shows the delinquent tax, the sale, the certificate and later redemption or forfeiture. The Treasurer announces each year's sale, and redemptions are paid at the Clerk's office.

Kane County tax sale data from MinakiLabs

• Tax sale results:
• Redemptions:

See the Kane County distressed properties page, or read Kane County delinquent property taxes.

This guide explains the process in general terms. It isn't legal advice; the statute and the county offices set the dates and amounts.