To find who owns a commercial property in Lake County, Illinois, look up the property’s PIN through the Lake County Chief County Assessment Office, then check the taxpayer name and mailing address on the tax record and the grantee on the most recent recorded deed. If the owner is an LLC, search the Illinois Secretary of State business database for its manager or registered agent. If the title is held in an Illinois land trust, the public record will show only the trustee bank, and finding the real owner takes more work.
This guide is for Lake County, Illinois, the county north of Cook that includes Waukegan, Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, and Highland Park. Lake County, Florida, and Lake County, Indiana, use different systems.
Step 1: Find the PIN
Every parcel in Lake County, Illinois has a 10-digit Property Index Number, or PIN. Search the property address on the Chief County Assessment Office’s property tax assessment lookup on lakecountyil.gov. The PIN appears at the top of the results, labeled PARID. Large commercial properties often sit on several PINs, so check whether neighboring parcels belong to the same owner.
Step 2: Read the tax record
The assessment and tax records show the taxpayer name and the address where the tax bill is mailed. That mailing address is often the most useful clue on the page. It may be the owner’s office, a family member’s home, an accountant, or a property management company. Any of those is a path to the decision maker.
Keep in mind that the taxpayer is not always the legal owner. The bill may go to a tenant under a net lease or to a manager.
Step 3: Pull the recorded deed
The recorded deed is the legal record of ownership. Search the PIN or address in Lake County’s land records to find the most recent deed. It shows:
- The grantee, meaning the current owner of record
- The date of the last sale, which tells you how long the owner has held the property
- The person who prepared the deed and where it was mailed after recording, which often points to the owner’s attorney
While you are in the land records, look for mortgages, releases, and liens. A mortgage recorded years ago and never released, or a recent lis pendens, says a lot about the owner’s situation. [VERIFY: current name and URL of Lake County’s online land records search.]
Step 4: Look up the LLC
Most commercial property in the county is owned by an LLC or corporation. Search the entity name in the Illinois Secretary of State business entity search. The record shows the registered agent and, for many LLCs, the managers or members. Out-of-state entities may be registered in Delaware or another state, so check there if the Illinois record is thin.
Step 5: Watch for Illinois land trusts
This is the step that trips up people who are used to other states. Illinois land trusts are common in Lake County, especially on property held by families for decades. In a land trust, a bank or trust company holds title as trustee, and the deed and tax record show something like “Chicago Title Land Trust Company, as Trustee under Trust No. 12345.” The beneficiaries, who are the real owners, are not in the public record.
When you hit a land trust, try these:
- The tax bill mailing address, which usually goes to the beneficiary or their manager, not the bank
- The name of the attorney who prepared the deed
- Older deeds showing who conveyed the property into the trust
- Building permits, business licenses, and village records, which often list an owner contact
- Tenants in the building, who know who they pay rent to
The trustee bank will generally not disclose the beneficiaries, but it will usually forward a letter to them.
Step 6: Use the village and the building
Municipal records fill gaps the county does not. Building permits, certificates of occupancy, code enforcement records, and business licenses often name an owner representative and a phone number. A Freedom of Information Act request to the village or city can get you those records if they are not online.
And do not overlook the simplest step. Visit the building, talk to tenants, and look for a management sign in the lobby.
When to get help
For one property, the steps above usually work. For a list of properties, or when the owner is buried in a land trust or a chain of LLCs, a broker with long relationships in the county can often reach the owner directly. If you are trying to buy a building that is not for sale, see our guide on finding off-market commercial real estate, or ask the Van Vlissingen and Co. team to run an off-market search across Lake County, Illinois. For current market conditions, check the daily-updated RFP Chicagoland Commercial Real Estate Index.
Frequently asked questions
Is property ownership public record in Lake County, Illinois?
Yes. Tax records, assessments, and recorded deeds are public. The exception in practice is a land trust, where the public record shows only the trustee.
What is a PIN in Lake County, Illinois?
A Property Index Number is the 10-digit number that identifies each parcel. It appears on the tax bill, the deed, and the assessment notice, and as PARID in the county’s online assessment lookup.
How do I find the person behind an LLC that owns a building?
Search the LLC in the Illinois Secretary of State business entity database for its registered agent and managers. The tax bill mailing address and the attorney who prepared the deed are also strong leads.
Why does the owner show as a bank trust number?
The property is held in an Illinois land trust. A bank or trust company holds title as trustee, and the beneficial owners are not listed in public records. The trustee will usually forward a letter to the beneficiaries.
Does the taxpayer name always match the owner?
No. The tax bill may go to a tenant under a net lease, a property manager, or an accountant. The recorded deed is the legal record of ownership.