The following is intended to provide some general information regarding mortgage foreclosure sales and information on how such foreclosure sales will be conducted by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone wishing to participate in a mortgage foreclosure sale should seek information regarding the statutes and case law regarding these matters from their own personal attorney. This document is not intended to nor should it be relied upon by any individual as a full explanation and enumeration of one’s legal rights, responsibilities, duties or obligations. Please consult your own attorney.

General Information

In the State of Illinois, foreclosures must be published in the newspaper in the county where the foreclosed property is located. Notices are published for 3 weeks with the last publication frequently being, but not required to be, the week prior to the scheduled sale date. Legal notices are sometimes canceled by the lender/lender’s attorney during the publication period and sometimes sales are canceled between the time of the last publication and the actual sale.

Sheriff’s sales are scheduled by the lender/lender’s attorney, not the Sheriff’s Office. A current listing of scheduled sales is available on this website. The list is updated, as changes are known by the Sheriff’s Office and is subject to change at any time. Bidders should be aware that on the day of the sale, sales are sometimes adjourned or canceled from the original sale date as published. If this occurs, the Sheriff’s website will be updated with the new sale date as soon as possible.

The successful purchaser has the sole responsibility and expense of any kind of taxes, special assessments, or liens without representation as to the quality of the title and without recourse to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The property is purchased in “as is” condition. The sale is also further subject to confirmation by the Court.

The successful purchaser has the sole responsibility/expense of evicting any tenants or other individuals presently in possession of the subject property.

Payments

The terms and conditions of the sale will be included in the newspaper posting. Each sale may have different terms. Typically, 25% by certified funds is due at the conclusion of the sale and the remaining balance is due within 24 hours.

Bids

The Sheriff’s Office will NOT know the starting bid prior to the start of the scheduled sale date. The lender/lender’s attorney provides the starting bid. In most cases, the minimum bid for each property is higher than the amount listed in the legal notice. The debt listed in the legal notice is the amount that is due as of the date of the notice. Interest and various other costs may be added to that amount to form the minimum bid on the sale date.

Legal Advice

There are many ramifications involved when dealing with mortgage foreclosures sales. Each bidder is Highly advised to obtain legal advice about his/her rights and responsibilities from an attorney who is familiar with real estate law, and in particular, with mortgage foreclosures. A very thorough search of the title of the property you are interested in should be made. Staff and members of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office are not attorneys and cannot and will not provide legal advice. Any questions about redemption rights, liens or any other information regarding the legal aspect of the foreclosure sale should be obtained from a trained professional. Most bidders are investing a great deal of money on the foreclosed property, and it is reasonable and prudent for anyone investing such monies to obtain competent advice.

Completion of Sale

Once the sale is completed, Sheriff’s Deeds are issued and recorded with the Adams County Recorder of Deeds. These documents are a matter of public record and anyone seeking information about a recorded Sheriff’s Deed can do so at the Recorder of Deeds Office, located in the Courthouse at 521 Vermont St., Quincy, IL. Redemption of foreclosed properties are handled through the attorney handling the foreclosure for the bank.