McHenry County, Illinois

Tax Lien315,959 residents

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Tax Lien

Redemption periodstate default

2–2.5 years depending on property type

Investor returnstate default

Up to 36% penalty per 6-month period (bid-down), 18% max per period at auction

Governing statutestate default

35 ILCS 200, Art. 21

Notes

Illinois tax-lien (certificate) county. McHenry County Treasurer sells unpaid taxes (not the property) at annual live reverse auction using RAMS system — bidding declines from 9% per six months toward 0%. Next sale: November 16, 2026, 9:00 a.m., McHenry County Administration Building Conference Rooms B & C, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock. Single-bidder registration rule. Separate sealed-bid tax deed auctions for matured certificates appear on iltaxsale.com periodically.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person (tax lien certificates); separate sealed-bid tax deeds

Frequency

Annual certificate sale mid-November (2026: Nov 16). Tax deed sealed-bid sales as inventory matures (see iltaxsale.com).

Platform

McHenry County Treasurer — Tax Sale ↗

Deposit rules

Register by close of business Oct 28, 2026 (no postmarks): registration form, signed W-9, $500 registration check (returned day of sale in exchange for purchase check), optional $200 list fee. Separate checks to McHenry County Collector. Must be present to bid; certificates issued only in registered name.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Certificate is a lien on unpaid taxes, not a deed. Other liens remain until tax deed/foreclosure process. Federal liens can survive. Redemption interest accrues at bid rate every 6 months.

Quiet title

After tax deed issues (post-redemption period), quiet title is commonly required for insurable Illinois tax title.

Deal maths for Illinois

Assessment ratio: 0.3333× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $350

35 ILCS 200/9-145: property outside Cook County is assessed at 33⅓% of fair cash value.

Offices and records

Tax collector

McHenry County Treasurer / Collector (Donna Kurtz) ↗

815-334-4260

Clerk of court

McHenry County Clerk (tax redemptions) ↗

815-334-4242

Property appraiser

McHenry County Supervisor of Assessments / Devnet tax inquiry ↗

GIS / parcel map

McHenry County property tax / parcel inquiry ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Crystal Lake / downtown–Randall Road

Northwest suburban job access and retail density with strong SF resale liquidity

Huntley / I-90 corridor

Continued residential absorption and relative affordability versus closer-in McHenry towns

Woodstock / county-seat core

Government and local employment with entry inventory versus Crystal Lake