Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today her office has made lists of tax-delinquent properties available to Chicago's 50 aldermen and Cook County's 17 commissioners so they can notify the homeowners that they are in danger of losing their homes.

When advised that the Treasurer's Office could provide ward-by-ward and district-by-district lists of properties on which property taxes were owed, most of the aldermen and commissioners requested them from the Treasurer's Office.

"When people are in danger of losing their homes, we must make every effort to alert them so that they have the opportunity to pay back taxes and keep their homes," Pappas said.

Pappas noted that the 1999 Annual Tax Sale begins on April 9, 2001. At that sale, which lasts approximately a month, 1999 taxes owed will be sold to tax buyers. Homeowners will have to pay back the taxes, with penalties and interest, to redeem the taxes. If taxes are not redeemed, a homeowner eventually could lose the property.

"Simple notification can enable homeowners to take steps to keep their property," said Alderman Vilma Colom (35th). "Treasurer Pappas has enabled us to provide that notification."