Annual Real Estate and Mobile Home Tax Sale

Fall Date of Sale & Registration

The annual tax sale in 2023 will be held on November 3rd. Sales begin at 10:00 am and all the delinquent taxes are offered for sale, both separately and in consecutive order. Anyone can register to purchase taxes at the sale, but they must register to be a buyer at least ten business days prior to the sale. Contact our office to receive a registration packet or download the packet here (PDF).

Tax Sale Fees

View fees associated with the annual tax sale.

McLean County Property Tax Sale Process

Auction Date: November 03, 2023

Publication: October 16 - October 20, 2023

Judgment Hearing: November 2, 2023

Tax sale will be conducted according to the processed outlined in Illinois Compiled Statutes Chapter 35, Act 200, Article 21

DATE: The Annual Tax Sale will begin at 10 AM on the date listed above. The tax sale will continue until all delinquent parcels are sold. Both delinquent real estate and mobile home taxes will be sold.

PLACE: Tax sale will be conducted in the McLean County Government Center, 4^th Floor County Board Room, 115 E. Washington Street, Bloomington, IL 61702.

TIME: Registered tax buyer check-in begins at 9:00 am. The Tax Sale will start promptly at 10:00 am and will run until all parcels are sold. Using an automated tax sale system, we anticipate the sale running no more than about 3 hours.

REGISTRATION: By statute, registration for the tax sale closes on the date listed above. Registration forms must be received in the office on this date. A deposit of $250.00 is required at the time the registration is submitted. Each tax buyer code must have an IRS Form W9 on file in the McLean County Collector's Office to participate in the bidding process. Please contact us if you need a blank W9 form. If you have provided us a W9 at a previous sale, unless the information has changed, you do not need to resubmit another W9. Only registered bidders can participate in the Tax Sale. If a registered bidder/buyer does not attend the sale, the $250 deposit is forfeited.

PUBLICATION: If property tax for a parcel remains unpaid it will be published in local newspapers during the week listed above. Publication will also occur on our website www.mcleancountyil.gov/treasurer.

TAX SALE LIST: The Tax Sale list, available for purchase to registered tax buyers, is for the sole purpose of the delinquent property Tax Sale. Use of this information for any other purpose is strictly prohibited. The County Treasurer reserves the right to deny sale of the list to any tax buyer. The list will include the permanent parcel number, the assessee name, the delinquent tax amount, and the state equalized value. The first release will be available approximately 10 days prior to the tax sale. The cost of the list is $50. The tax sale list will be sent electronically to the email address the buyer has provided on their registration form. Updates will be provided at no additional cost. Arrangements to receive a printed list should be made with our office in advance. Checks to purchase the list should be made payable to the McLEAN COUNTY TREASURER. The list is for the entire county and is not available by township. Questions may be emailed to [email protected].

BIDDING PROCEDURE: This is a LIEN ONLY SALE. The parcels with delinquent tax amounts are offered in numeric order by township. Tax buyers bid on the interest rate. Bidding begins at 9% and the tax lien is awarded to the lowest bidder. The Tax Sale is automated, and bidding will be done by using a laptop computer which will be supplied. An explanation of how to bid at the sale using the laptop computer will be presented promptly at 9:00 am the morning of the sale. Therefore, it is important to arrive on time that day. You may also watch the Tax Sale video tutorial presented by ramsauctions.com.

COUNTY AS TAX BUYER: Whenever the delinquent tax amount of a parcel is offered for sale and there are no other bidders, the County of McLean, as Trustee for all taxing bodies, will bid 9% and become the owner of the certificate. This eliminates forfeitures. After the sale, these certificates can be purchased from the McLean County Clerk.

DEPOSITS/PAYMENTS: Checks should be made payable to the McLEAN COUNTY COLLECTOR.

Tax buyers must pay the tax amount due, interest, $10 certified mail & publication cost, and a per parcel fee of $104.00. The statutory fees cover:

$ 14.00 for Clerk Fee & Tax Sale Certificate
20.00 for Tax Sale Indemnity Fund
10.00 for Tax Sale Automation Fund
30.00 for Sale in Error Interest Fund
------------
$74.00 Total

Each tax buyer's unaudited total amount of taxes purchased will be available same day or by noon on the next business day. Payment is expected the same day of the tax sale. If arrangements are necessary and made in advance, tax buyer may have until noon on the next business day. Failure to pay for purchases will result in those purchases being cancelled and the tax buyers' ineligibility for future participation.

REFUNDS: All checks received will be deposited by the McLean County Collector. If the deposits exceed the purchases, the refunds will be made after the tax sale has been completed and balanced.

SEATING: There will be no assigned seating at the sale. Tax buyers are welcome to sit at any available laptop station.

EVIDENCE OF PURCHASE: Several weeks after the tax sale, a Sale's Certificate will be issued by the McLean County Clerk in the name of the registered tax buyer for each parcel purchased. This Sale's Certificate represents a lien against the property. Please contact that office at (309) 888-5190 with any inquiries regarding your certificates.

We look forward to your participation at our annual Tax Sale. Please refer to Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 35, Act 200, Article 21, or the Illinois General Assembly web page at www.ilga.gov for Tax Sale information. Knowledge regarding procedures and statutory requirements is the tax buyer's responsibility.

If you have any questions, visit our website at www.mcleancountyil.gov/treasurer, email [email protected] or contact the office at (309) 888-5180.

Rebecca C. McNeil

McLean County Treasurer

Updated 04/28/2023