Cook County property owners have a free financial planning tool that can help them pay off their past-due property tax bills and avoid the “merciless” Annual Tax Sale, Treasurer Maria Pappas said Monday, July 29.

A Payment Plan Calculator at cookcountytreasurer.com is available at no cost to help property owners who are late paying their taxes. The calculator assists taxpayers who want to budget their property tax expenses over payments made monthly or every two weeks.

“There is no need for homeowners to be at the mercy of the merciless Annual Tax Sale,” Pappas said. “This Payment Plan Calculator can help them keep control when they may think all is lost.”

While the Treasurer’s Office has previously accepted partial tax bill payments, the calculator is designed to provide an actual system for those at risk of having their past-due taxes sold at the county’s Annual Tax Sale, an auction of unpaid property taxes.

“We want to do everything possible to help people pay off their tax debt,” Pappas said. “We routinely find that thousands of properties offered at our Annual Tax Sale are owned by people who owe less than $1,000 in taxes.”

Many homeowners were shocked by property tax increases this year, particularly in the south and southwest suburbs. They worry what will happen if they are unable to pay their bills in full by the Thursday, Aug. 1 due date.

“I will work with ministers to help get the word out to congregations and community leaders that the Payment Plan Calculator can help people pay their taxes over an extended period of time,” said the Rev. John Harrell, president and founder of Black Men United, a national community service organization.

Taxpayers may sign up to receive email or text message notifications reminding them to make the monthly or biweekly payments recommended by the Payment Plan Calculator.