The Office of the Cook County Treasurer has informed the Bankruptcy Court that property records can only be located by the property index number (PIN), not by owner’s name or property address. Real estate tax sales may go forward after bankruptcies are filed unless that office gets notice of the PIN number (shown on tax bill for each real estate parcel) along with notice of the bankruptcy filing.
In order to avoid tax sales and the additional cost to set them aside, PIN numbers for each parcel of real estate for which a tax debt is due should be listed as the “account number” called for on Schedule “D”. All correspondence with the Office of the County Treasurer, including notice of the bankruptcy filing, should state the PIN number for each real estate parcel affected.
May 18, 2001