Foreclosed Evictees Would be More Politely Treated in Cook County

April 14th, 2009 | Tags: Foreclosed Homes

In trying to make the bitter bill of reality ore palatable, it has been mandated that foreclosure evictees would be more politely treated in Cook County.

The deputies of the Sheriff exit from their cars but not to push resident out of their homes right then. It has been ruled that three such visits would be required before the residents are finally given the nudge. If nobody inside the house responds to their knockings they leave behind a notice stuck to the door.

The complexion of evictions in Cook County has somewhat changed. Last autumn the Sheriff hit the headlines when for a short spell he managed to stall eviction of tenants who were ignorant about the house being in foreclosure.

The new approach is more kind and gentle. The banks would have to prove that that tenants had been warned about the eviction 120 days ahead. The deputies knock on these properties three times before the final push is taken. A social worker assists in connecting the residents with various public services available – sometimes they give information about new prospective landlords. The goal is to allow more time to the families to locate to a new shelter.

The deputies of the Sheriff give information about the various counseling and assisting agencies. The disabled and the children are given special attention. Sheriff Dart too took the assistance of a social volunteer. The worker opens the door to another world of hope for the foreclosure victims. It all sums up a procedure of action that is not seen anywhere else in USA.

Fred Wilson of the National Sheriff’s Association who is planning to meet Dart to find out more particulars said, “I don\’t know of anyone else taking all those steps. I would want to share those with our folks (because) they all see the same dilemma.”

There has been no let down on the foreclosure scene while recession continues to hold sway. In February there were over 290,000 foreclosures in USA according to the findings of ReatlyTrac. It is a hike of 30% over the figures of February 2009.

Within two years the number of foreclosures doubled in Cook County. Last year it was 42,000. Simultaneously the number of foreclosure evictions tripled – it being 4,500 more than 2008.

The good news about this more humane approach is that the residents will not have to return home from their places of work to find their goods and chattel thrown out on the front curb.