Unincorporated Cook County—Zoning Certificates Required
Cook County now requires sellers to obtain zoning certificates for property located in unincorporated Cook County prior to the closing of a prospective sale. Effective March 21, 2015, the owner of any property in unincorporated Cook County that is under contract for sale is required to obtain a zoning certificate from the Cook County Department of Building and Zoning in order to verify the property’s current zoning classification, any outstanding building permits, and outstanding violations or judgments on the property prior to closing.
It appears that the Cook County Recorder of Deeds will require production of such a Cook County zoning certificate before accepting deeds to property in unincorporated Cook County for recording.
The new zoning certificates will alleviate issues of uncertainty surrounding zoning and classification of properties in unincorporated Cook County by providing purchasers of property in unincorporated Cook County with the underlying zoning classification of the property prior to closing.
Instructions for applications for the zoning certificates and application forms can be found at www.cookcountyil.gov/building-and-zoning. The County charges a fee of $100 per application. The certificate is valid for 180 days after issuance. |