Illinois Foreclosure Guide
Illinois uses judicial foreclosure with a statutory redemption period of 7 months from service or 3 months from judgment. Cook County (Chicago) sheriff's auctions are held weekly and attract heavy institutional buyer competition. Municipal special assessments, water/sewer liens, and Chicago city fines can survive a mortgage foreclosure and bind the new owner.
Process Type
Judicial
Typical Timeline
12–24 months
Sale Method
Sheriff's sale (weekly in Cook)
Active Foreclosure Auctions
Illinois Title Risk Articles
Illinois Tax Sale Redemption: What Scavenger Sale Buyers Actually Inherit During the Two-Year Window
Illinois scavenger sale certificates don't convey title — they convey a waiting game. Here's what actually transfers during the redemption period and what can destroy your investment.
Cook County Tax Deed Sales: The Special Assessment Liens That Survive the Sale
Illinois tax deed sales in Cook County don't extinguish all liens. Special assessments under 35 ILCS 200/22-40 survive—and they're rarely disclosed at auction.
Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure and Surviving Liens: What the IMFL Does and Does Not Extinguish
Illinois foreclosure sales don't wipe all liens. Learn which encumbrances survive under the IMFL and why your title search must go deeper.
When Air Rights Leases Survive Foreclosure: The Illinois Title Trap That Can Cost You the Building's Value
In Illinois, a recorded air rights lease senior to the mortgage survives foreclosure — and the new owner inherits a building they can't legally occupy above a certain floor.
The Zoning Violation That Transfers With the Deed in Cook County, Illinois
Cook County zoning violations attach to the land, not the owner. Buy a foreclosure with an unresolved code case and you inherit the fines, the abatement orders, and the demolition risk.
The Pre-Closing Condo Special Assessment Trap in Illinois: Who Pays When the Seller Didn't
Illinois condo buyers inherit unpaid special assessments levied before closing. Here's how the Illinois Condominium Property Act creates personal liability traps.
County-Level Exceptions Investors Should Know
Statewide rules only tell part of the story. These county-level quirks catch out-of-state investors off guard.
Cook County (Chicago)
Cook County holds a Scavenger Sale every two years for all properties delinquent on taxes for two or more years. Unlike the standard tax sale, any bid is accepted — even $1 — and the buyer receives a tax deed after a two-year redemption period. This is one of the most distinctive tax sale mechanisms in the country.
St. Clair County (East St. Louis)
East St. Louis properties frequently have multiple overlapping liens from city code violation liens, EPA brownfield assessments, and mortgage foreclosures. Buyers should order a full municipal lien search and an environmental Phase I assessment before bidding on any former industrial or commercial property.
DuPage County
DuPage County has a large volume of condominium association foreclosures running concurrently with mortgage foreclosures. Both must be tracked independently. Condo association liens in Illinois are not extinguished by a mortgage foreclosure unless the association was named as a defendant.
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