12 B 26203, 12 B 21218

Tax purchasers moved for relief from the automatic stay to continue with their petitions for issuance of a tax deed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The issue before the Court was whether the debtors in these two cases could cure delinquent property taxes through their chapter 13 plans even though the redemption periods expired during pendency of the bankruptcy cases. The Court acknowledged the split of authority in this jurisdiction concerning the interplay between 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) and 11 U.S.C. § 108(b), as well as the nature of a tax purchaser’s interest arising out of the Illinois tax sale procedure. Agreeing with the recently issued opinion in La Mont, the Court found that the debtors could provide for payment of the purchasers’ claims in installments through their chapter 13 plans. Accordingly, the Court denied the tax purchasers’ motions.