Location of Sale

Foreclosure sales are held every Tuesday (with some exceptions) at 9:30 A.M. at the following location:

Foreclosure sales are held in the open seating area at the top of the escalators, on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse at 301 W Washington St in Waukegan. (Building is attached by a walkway with 18 N County St.)

All other transactions before and after sales will still be done at the Sheriff’s Office, including payments, issuing deeds, etc.  Contact Judicial Sales at 847-377-4401 with questions.
 
Holidays and other unforeseen situations may affect the scheduling of a sale date and the sale dates may move. Please check the Sales Schedule (PDF) and be sure to use the Foreclosed Property Listing link below for up to date information and scheduling.

Foreclosure Research

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office does not provide legal advice. The Sheriff’s Office will only provide information about its policies and procedures pertaining to the foreclosure sales. If you have questions related to legal issues, consult with an attorney specializing in real estate/foreclosure law or visit the 19th Judicial Circuit’s Center for Self Representation in the law Library located on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse 18 N County Street Waukegan, IL 60085

The entire court file for any foreclosure case is available for review at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office, at 18 North County Street in Waukegan, or you may call them at 847-377-3380. You need to have the case number of the property you are interested in researching. The case number can be found under Foreclosed Property Listings. Please be sure to do your research prior to bidding on a property.

Current Tax Year Unpaid Back-Taxes 

Additional research is recommended at the Treasurer’s Office, 18 North County Street in Waukegan. Their phone number is 847-377-2323. The Treasurer’s Office records the property’s back taxes due for the current year. You may be subject to unpaid taxes if you purchase the property. To conduct research, you will need to provide the PIN number, which can be found under the Foreclosed Property Listings. Unpaid back-taxes could be the financial responsibility of winning bidder unless they were escrowed by the bank. Research on back-taxes can be done through the Lake County Treasurer's Office online service

Previous Tax Year Information

For previous year’s tax information contact the County Clerk’s Office. They are located on the first floor of the courthouse and can also be reached by phone at 847-377-2404.

Additional Liens

If there are any additional liens held against the property, in many cases, liens may be rolled into the primary lien holder’s foreclosure lawsuit, but not always. Further research of liens can be done at the Recorder of Deed's Office. Recording examples would include, foreclosure notices, deeds, sales amounts, mortgages, liens, declarations, by-laws, restrictions, state and federal tax liens. These are all documents that may potentially impact the property rights of previous and future owners and the quality of title. It is recommended that potential buyers seek professional help from an attorney and/or title company. Research on liens may be checked by calling the Lake County Recorder of Deeds Office at 847-377-2575 or subscribing to the Lake County Recorder of Deeds one-day subscription for $5.

Foreclosed Property Listing

The Foreclosed Property Listing includes the scheduled sale dates, case numbers, addresses of the properties, PIN numbers and the names and phone numbers of the attorneys representing the Plaintiffs. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office does not provide hard copies of the Foreclosure Property Listing. Viewing the interior of the property is not permitted prior to the purchase.

Foreclosure Requirements

The lender must provide an opening bid for a property to go to sale. Please review the Foreclosed Property Listing no later than the day prior to the sale. If the opening bid is not provided by the lender, the sale will be continued to a future date or, in some cases, canceled.

No financing is available. Payments can be made in the form of a bank certified check or money order. No cash will be accepted. You must have at a minimum 10% of the opening (plaintiff) bid amount to participate in the bidding process. If there are multiple bidders the bid amount will increase. We suggest you have at least 10% of the highest amount you are willing to bid. In the event you are the winning bidder, the balance is due anytime after the sale but no later than 3 PM on the following Thursday. The certified checks can be issued to the Lake County Sheriff or in your name.

Issuing Property Deed

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will issue the property deed only after the sale has been approved by the court. This time frame can fluctuate based on the volume of scheduled sales and court date availability. It is the responsibility of the lender’s attorneys to schedule this court date with the Clerk of the Circuit Court Office. It is the responsibility of the purchaser to record the property deed with the Recorder of Deeds Office.

Disclaimer: A foreclosure purchase is a potentially high risk endeavor that requires in depth knowledge of a specialized market and the willingness to thoroughly do the research and due diligence needed to make an informed decision. The Sheriff’s Office is not in any way responsible for any potential or unseen complications that could affect a sale. It is strongly recommended that perspective buyers, especially first timers, consider consulting a real estate attorney with foreclosure experience or a seasoned investor before proceeding with this process.