Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Illinois

Re: track deed

Although the Cook County Recorder of Deeds does have a website that allows the viewing and download of recorded items at www.ccrd.info, that information is only from I believe 1985 to the present. For a thorough search you can do one of two things. One, you can ask a title company to perform an "owners search" of your property and ask that they go back 100 years. They will give you a report that lists who the grantors and grantees over time have been. There is a charge for that service that I would estimate would be in the $50-$100 range.

Second, you can do the research yourself at the Cook County Recorder's Office downtown at the County Building and go in the basement of the Recorder's Office. There you will find the actual books dating back to just after the Great Chicago Fire. There are staff people available to assist you there as well. There is also a cost to print out a deed, but I am not certain what the charge is.

Re: track deed

I agree with Mr. Guttman. However, Cook County used to have two systems of recording. One was with the Recorder of Deeds, the other with the Registrar of Titles and was called the Torrens system. Sometime in the 90s or late 80s the Torrens system was converted. However, my point is that if your property was in the Torrens system, there wont be 100 years of deeds. Good luck.