Sheriff working hard to reduce winter backlog

shervanSheriff’s Deputies processing lots of evictions

Props and kudos to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and his Sheriff’s Deputies who are clearly (to me) working their tails off to get eviction orders processed.  The horrible cold has created an unbelievable backlog in the processing of eviction orders, but a quick look at the Sheriff’s website will plainly show that the Sheriff is scheduling many more evictions on a daily basis than in my recent memory. 

Based on my own anecdotal evidence, I believe the Sheriff’s backlog is about 10-11 weeks (that’s a guess by me, and not something you landlords reading this can not rely on, and certainly is not legal advice, and it seems to be improving daily so tenants who think they have time might be sorely mistaken when the Sheriff shows up at their door sooner!!)

In addition to conducting more evictions, it seems that the Sheriff has added a “second shift” to the traditional “we will be there between 8am and noon shift”.  The Sheriff has now added a “we will be there between 11am and 3pm” shift.  The winter has been cold.  The eviction list is long.  The Sheriff is responding in a way that should please most landlords.  The system is not perfect and most landlords would rather their tenants were evicted today and not tomorrow, but it appears to me that the Sheriff should be commended for making reasonable efforts to reduce the backlog.

8 thoughts on “Sheriff working hard to reduce winter backlog”

  1. I tried to call the sheriffs too see how far behind they were. I’m a tentant they inform me that they don’t disclose that information but I will recieve a postcard/ notification in mail is that true? The eviction was filed 3 wks ago I’m moving next Friday. The judge told me the sheriffs were behind 9-10 wks again that was 3 wks ago. I still have no ” postcard” is that true?

    • Tenants generally receive a postcard but there’s no guarantee it will come (could get lost or delayed in the mail) and the order can technically be enforced by the Sheriff at any time after the stay expires.

  2. So today I received a final notice letter. Dated for 3/14, letter says vacate within 24 hrs of this notice. So this is the notice? Why is it just now coming if it was dated almost 2 wks ago? Or is it another letter coming?

    • Impossible to provide an answer without knowing the facts and seeing the order. If you are a tenant, you should contact a tenant’s rights attorney.

  3. After the the order of possession has been entered do I have 30 days to vacate? Is that automatic or do I have to file something?

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