Cook County Tax Sales Found Unconstitutional

Cook County tax sales found unconstitutional

A federal judge has ruled that Cook County’s “Tax Sales” violate the constitution, potentially putting the county on the hook for tens of millions of dollars to compensate people who lost their properties after falling behind on property taxes.

Property tax foreclosures illegally stripped Cook County homeowners of their equity, federal judge rules

A federal judge ruled in a class action lawsuit that the way Cook County handles unpaid property taxes violates the U.S. Constitution, a win for homeowners who lost their properties — and their built-up equity — in tax sales. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly wrote that the county's annual tax sales have resulted in violations of the Fifth Amendment's prohibition against taking property without just compensation and the Eighth Amendment's …

Federal judge rules Cook County tax sale system unconstitutional

Three years after a group of homeowners and community organizations filed suit claiming the county’s tax sale system robbed them of their home equity, a federal judge has ruled the system unconstitutional. Judge Matthew F. Kennelly found in a Monday ruling that the system violated both the 5th and 8th amendments of the Constitution related to unfair “takings” and excessive fines. Still to be decided is whether Cook County government is on the ho…

Cook County’s property tax sales are unconstitutional, court finds

Federal judge rules the system violates the “takings” clause, but compensation for homeowners in class-action lawsuit remains unclear.

Cook County’s Tax Foreclosure Scheme Violates US Constitution

Cook County’s tax foreclosure scheme violates the Fifth and Eighth Amendments of the US Constitution, but the liability of the county still needs to be determined with further fact-finding, an Illinois federal court said.