CHICAGO –Governor Bruce Rauner signed legislation on Friday strengthening public notice law for Illinois residents and local newspapers throughout Illinois with respect to legally-required notices concerning real estate. The legislation, House Bill 5176, was sponsored by State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford. Prior to the passage of this new law, Cook County was treated differently than the rest of the state in provisions regulating the process for publishing property-related legal notices.
Specifically, the new law provides that legal notices concerning real estate be published in the township (rather than in the county) of the property in question; and that the required Cook County newspaper notice of foreclosure-related sales of property be published in a newspaper different from the paper used for the legal notice. The new law is expected to help increase public awareness of court proceedings and rulings involving local property before a final judgment is made.
“This new law brings Illinois’ public notice law closer to home,” Representative Sosnowski said. “Whether you live in Cook County or anywhere else in Illinois, you should be able to read public notices in your local newspaper, not have to subscribe to a special legal publication. Thanks to this new law, every Illinois family and taxpayer will have the same access to public notices in their community.”
House Bill 5176 was approved by the House of Representatives in April by a vote of 103-0-1. It was then approved by the State Senate in May by a vote of 53-0-1 before being sent to the Governor. The new law is effective immediately.
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