Scavenger Sales In Cook County Leave Thousands Of Properties Abandoned, Vacant

You might know about auctions for cars, heirlooms and antiques, but have you ever gone to an auction for taxes?

Mar 31, 2021, 3:43pm CT

Cook County has extended the property tax deadline by two months to October 1. Manuel Martinez, WBEZ / Manuel Martinez, WBEZ

Scavenger Sales In Cook County Leave Thousands Of Properties Abandoned, Vacant

You might know about auctions for cars, heirlooms and antiques, but have you ever gone to an auction for taxes?

By Meha Ahmad

Mar 31, 2021, 3:43pm CT

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Every two years, Cook County holds a scavenger sale and sells off abandoned or boarded-up properties deep in property tax debt for a fraction of what they’re worth. It’s intention? To get the properties back in the hands of people who, presumably, will put them to use in communities and revitalize neighborhoods. But a new report shows that the 81-year-old program hasn’t been yielding the results intended.

Reset learns more about Cook County scavenger sales.

GUESTS: Christopher Berry, professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy; director of the Center for Municipal Finance

Bridget Gainer, Cook County commissioner