Illinois Compiled Statutes

35 ILCS 200/21-240 (2026)

Payment for property purchased at tax sale; reoffering for sale

✓ current as of May 2026
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(35 ILCS 200/21-240)
    Sec. 21-240. Payment for property purchased at tax sale; reoffering for sale. Except as otherwise provided below, the person purchasing any property, or any part thereof, shall be liable to the county for the amount due and shall forthwith pay to the county collector the amount charged on the property. Upon failure to do so, the amount due shall be recoverable in a civil action brought in the name of the People of the State of Illinois in any court of competent jurisdiction. The person so purchasing shall be relieved of liability only by payment of the amount due together with interest and costs thereon, or if the property is reoffered at the sale, purchased and paid for. Reoffering of the property for sale shall be at the discretion of the collector. The sale shall not be closed until payment is made or the property again offered for sale. In counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, only the taxes, special assessments, interest and costs as advertised in the sale shall be required to be paid forthwith. Except if the purchaser is the county as trustee pursuant to Section 21-90, the general taxes charged on the land remaining due and unpaid, including amounts subject to certificates of error, not included in the advertisement, shall be paid by the purchaser within 10 days after the sale, except that upon payment of the fee provided by law to the County Clerk (which fee shall be deemed part of the costs of sale) the purchaser may make written application, within the 10 day period, to the county clerk for a statement of all taxes, interest and costs due and an estimate of the cost of redemption of all forfeited general taxes, which were not included in the advertisement. After obtaining such statement and estimate and an order on the county collector to receive the amount of forfeited general taxes, if any, the purchaser shall pay to the county collector all the remaining taxes, interest and costs, and the amount necessary to redeem the forfeited general taxes. The county collector shall issue the purchaser a receipt therefor. Any delay in providing the statement or in accepting payment, and delivering receipt therefor, shall not be counted as a part of the 10 days. When the receipt of the collector is issued, a copy shall be filed with the county clerk and the county clerk shall include the amount shown in such receipt in the amount of the purchase price of the property in the certificate of purchase. The purchaser then shall be entitled to a certificate of purchase. If a purchaser fails to complete his or her purchase as provided in this Section, the purchase shall become void, and be of no effect, but the collector shall not refund the amount paid in cash at the time of the sale, except in cases of sale in error under subsection (a) of Section 21-310. That amount shall be treated as a payment and distributed to the taxing bodies as other collections are distributed. The lien for taxes for the amount paid shall remain on the property, in favor of the purchaser, his or her heirs or assigns, until paid with 5% interest per year on that amount from the date the purchaser paid it. The amount and fact of such ineffective purchase shall be entered in the tax judgment, sale, redemption and forfeiture record opposite the property upon which the lien remains. No redemption shall be made without payment of this amount for the benefit of the purchaser, and no future sale of the property shall be made except subject to the lien of such purchaser. This section shall not apply to any purchase by any city, village or incorporated town in default of other bidders at any sale for delinquent special assessments.
(Source: P.A. 103-555, eff. 1-1-24.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 18 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2000–2022 · leading case: In re Woodruff, 600 B.R. 616 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2019).
In re Woodruff, 600 B.R. 616 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2019). · cites it 5× “35 ILCS 200/21-240, 21-75; Gan B, LLC v. Sims , 575 B.”
In Re Bates, 270 B.R. 455 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2001). “In fact, the Code goes to great lengths to ensure that no such relationship exists between the landowner and the purchaser.”
Bueker v. Madison Cnty., IL, 2016 IL App (5th) 150282 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016). · cites it 2× “35 ILCS 200/21-240 (West 2012). After the tax buyer delivers payment to the county, the tax buyer receives a “certificate of purchase” evidencing payment of the taxes.”
In Re Kasco, 378 B.R. 207 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2007). “, 35 ILCS 200/21-240, 21-260 (West 1996)) and a debtor/creditor relationship between the county and the landowner (see, e.”
In re Application of the Cnty. Collector, 2022 IL 126929 (Ill. 2022). “See 35 ILCS 200/21-240 (West 2016). Section 21-240 of the Tax Code requires a purchaser at an annual tax sale (1) to pay, “forthwith,” the taxes, special assessments, interest and costs advertised for the tax sale and (2) to pay, “within 10 days after the sale,” the general…”
In Re Commings, 297 B.R. 701 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2003). “The winning bid is the bid for the “least penalty” amount. Id. Just as the bidders do not bid the value of the property, the winning bidder does not receive the property itself.”
AP Props., Inc. v. Rattner, 960 N.E.2d 618 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “35 ILCS 200/21-240, 21-260(c)(West 2010); Goshinsky, 186 Ill.”
United Legal Found. v. Pappas, 952 N.E.2d 100 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “" According to section 21-240 of the Property Tax Code ( 35 ILCS 200/21-240 (West 2006)), Z Financial had 10 days from the date it learned of the prior taxes to inform the county whether it would pay the prior taxes and become an "18 percenter" or would not pay them and become a…”
Blue v. Town of Lake Bldg. Corp. (In Re Blue), 247 B.R. 748 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2000). “There is, therefore, no debtor/creditor relationship between the Debtor and Lake Building, because Lake Building has no right to payment from the Debtor.”
Chicago Title Ins. Co. v. Aurora Loan Servs., LLC, 2013 IL App (1st) 123510 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). “35 ILCS 200/21-240 (West 2006). Effectively, the taxes have been paid, therefore, no taxes are due and owing for that tax period and an encumbrance in favor of the tax buyer remains until redeemed or until a tax deed issues.”
As-Is Props., Ltd. v. Street (In Re Application for a Tax Deed), 2018 IL App (5th) 170170 (Ill. App. Ct. 2018). “35 ILCS 200/21-240, 21-260(c) (West 2016); Goshinsky , 186 Ill.”
In re Application for a Tax Deed, 2018 IL App (5th) 170170 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). “35 ILCS 200/21-240, 21-260(c) (West 2016); Goshinsky, 186 Ill.”
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