Behind on property taxes in McHenry County.

McHenry County property taxes are due in two installments. The Treasurer's site says bills are typically mailed the first week of May, with the first installment due about the first week of June and the second about the first week of September. For 2026 it lists June 9 and September 9 as the due dates.

Three more things from the Treasurer's pages are worth knowing early. The office says it is not able to accept partial payment on a bill. It says "Failure to receive your tax bill does not void the tax or prevent the addition of penalties and costs." And it says that thirty days before delinquent taxes go to the tax sale, certified letters go out to owners with the dates and penalties.

Unpaid taxes are offered at the county's tax sale in the fall. For 2026, the Treasurer's page lists November 20 at 5 PM as the last day to pay to avoid the sale, with no postmark honored, and November 23 as the day the sale begins. Those are this year's dates as posted on October 3, 2026; check the Treasurer's property tax page for the current ones.

The Treasurer's office is at 2100 N. Seminary Avenue in Woodstock, at 815-334-4260. Its site lists payment by mail, in person with a drive-through and a drop box, online, and by phone.

The Treasurer's page has a who-to-call list. The parts that matter when taxes are behind:

• Your bill, the amount due, and how to pay before the sale: the County Treasurer, 815-334-4260.
• Redeeming taxes that have been sold: the County Clerk, 815-334-4242, or TaxRedemption@mchenrycountyil.gov.
• Exemptions, an assessment appeal, or a name or address change: the Assessments Office, 815-334-4290.
• Whether your value is too high: your Township Assessor.
• Recorded liens and land records: the County Recorder, 815-334-4110.

The County Clerk's site draws the line the same way: "The County Clerk's Office only handles taxes once they have gone to a Tax Sale." If only the current year is owed and the sale hasn't happened, you still pay the Treasurer. Once the sale has occurred, payment goes to the Clerk.

At the sale, registered tax buyers bid for the right to pay your taxes, and the lowest bid wins. The County Clerk's site says that if no tax buyer bids on a property, the McHenry County Trustee becomes the default tax buyer.

The notice you get afterward is alarming to read. The Clerk's office addresses that directly: the phrase "your property has been sold for delinquent taxes" is language required by state statute. In the Clerk's words: "This phrase does not mean that you no longer own your property, it just means that the taxes are outstanding. You as the owner still have the right to sell or modify the property if you wish." It adds that if redemption isn't made before the redemption period expires, ownership can change.

How you'll hear about it: the Clerk's FAQ says a notice prepared by the tax buyer, called a Take Notice, is mailed by the County Clerk's office within four and a half months of the sale, and that a notice is also placed on later tax bills.

The Clerk's office can give you an Estimate of Redemption, which is the amount it takes to pay the sale off as of a given date. Its advice is blunt: "If you know your taxes have been sold call the County Clerk's Office immediately to receive the amount needed to redeem the sale and remove the threat of loss of property."

Two rules from the Clerk's page shape what you can do. Redemption has to be paid in full: the Clerk says that under Illinois law it is not allowed to accept partial payments or set up payment plans. And the form of payment is limited to a cashier's check, an official check, a money order, or exact cash, with no personal, mortgage company, or business checks. Title company checks are accepted, which is how a redemption gets paid out of a sale at closing.

The Clerk's office is at 667 Ware Road, Room 107, in Woodstock. Its site says the office is unable to provide legal advice.

This is the one place where we won't give you a number to rely on, because the sources don't line up neatly.

The McHenry County Clerk's page says: "The redemption period is a minimum of 2 years maximum of 3 years. The third year is determined by the Tax Buyer." The Treasurer's FAQ says a tax sale "could eventually lead to the loss of your property, but only if the tax lien remains unpaid over two years." Neither page is dated.

The Illinois Property Tax Code, as amended effective July 10, 2026, says property sold at a tax sale may be redeemed at any time before the expiration of 3 years from the date of sale, or 1 year for some kinds of property such as vacant non-farm land. The Code says that change applies to tax certificates issued on or after that date.

Which rule covers you depends on when your taxes were sold, and we aren't going to guess. Your redemption deadline is printed on the Take Notice, and the Clerk's office will tell you the date and the amount for your parcel at 815-334-4242. If the deadline is close or you think a notice was wrong, talk to a lawyer.

The Clerk's own page says you still have the right to sell while the taxes are sold and unredeemed. In a sale, the title company gets the redemption figure from the Clerk and pays it at closing, along with any current taxes, mortgage, and liens, and what's left is yours. If you think you qualify for an exemption that would lower the bill going forward, the Assessments Office is the one to ask.

Whether to sell, redeem, or wait is your decision, and the statewide picture matters to it, including what the Property Tax Code now says about an owner's right to any surplus if a house goes to a tax deed auction. Our page on how to sell a house with unpaid property taxes in Illinois goes through that.

We buy houses across McHenry County as they stand. See our McHenry County page or the page for a house in the city of McHenry. Our office is in Elgin, and we come to the house. We can't stop a tax sale, extend a redemption deadline, or redeem for you. A cash offer is usually below what a repaired house would list for, and we recommend a lawyer read any offer before you sign.