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POSTED: 09/24/08
MAYWOOD HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Presents
THIS PLACE MATTERS . . . YOUR PLACE MATTERS
Chapter 1: Researching Your Home from Public Records
In cooperation with the Village of Maywood Historic Preservation Commission, and Maywood Public Library, we invite you to learn more about the history of your home and your community - and especially about its architecture and how Maywood’s development has fit within the context of the local and national history.
Researching Your Home from Public Records:
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First, you need the address.
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You’ll also need the PIN (Property Index Number). Don’t have it? You can find the PIN at the county assessor’s website: http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/filings/searchflat/search.asp
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Enter the house number in the first field, type direction (North or South) in the Direction field, the name of the street in the Street Name field, and Maywood in the City field lower on the page. Then click “Search by Address”. Confirm the search yields the address you are seeking, then note the PIN. This site will also provide additional information such as Assessed Valuation and property characteristics and square footage of the land.
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To find the current owner, go to http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com. Under “Payments” go to “Payment Status”. Enter the PIN you found at the site above. You’ll see the name and mailing address of the taxpayer. The taxpayer is USUALLY the current owner.
Owner history can now be found at the website for the Cook County Recorder of Deeds: http://www.ccrd.info
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Choose Property Index Number Search. At the next screen, enter the PIN you found above. (The last box of the number can be left blank if you run out of numbers.) Then click search.
This new screen will show you all transactions since 1985, including mortgages and deeds which will indicate who is the owner. You can click on the Document Number to see a copy of the document. It’s important to pay close attention to other transactions that may affect ownership. Follow the ownership through deeds to see if the current owners acquired the property after 1985. You need to follow the ownership names as far back on the computer as you can. You may also do this at the Recorder’s Office at Maybrook Court.
Before 1985
If you do not find a deed indicating when the current owner acquired the property, or if you find the name of the earliest owner as shown on the website, you then need to visit the Cook County Recorder of Deeds office downtown in the Tract Room, located in the basement of the County Building, 118 North Clark Street. There you need to search the actual tract books for the earliest owner name you have from your web search back to the time of the Maywood Company in the 1870s. Staff are available to assist you. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. This can take quite a bit of time so allow at least 3 hours.
Building Permit records are maintained by the Village of Maywood Office of Code Enforcement. All records pertaining to a property can be accessed by filing a Freedom of Information Request with the Clerk of the Village of Maywood. Permits used to be issued by the township and those records are no longer available so Village permits will have limited value. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to take a look - there may be other clues to the house you’re researching, including old photos.
Maywood Public Library has additional resources to assist in your research, as does the West Town Historical Museum across the street.
This is the first step in finding out about the fascinating history of your house and our community. We hope this will encourage you to dig deeper into your home’s architectural and social history and encourage you to repair, restore and take pride in your home and what you have found.
Maywood’s Historic Preservation Commissioners are also available to further direct you in your research. You may contact them through the Clerk’s Office at the Village of Maywood: 708-450-6360. |
