Lake County Contract for Deed Form (Illinois)

All Lake County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Contract for Deed Form

Lake County Contract for Deed Form

Fill in the blank Contract for Deed form formatted to comply with all Illinois recording and content requirements.
Included Lake County compliant document last validated/updated 7/9/2024

Contract for Deed Guide

Lake County Contract for Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Contract for Deed form.
Included Lake County compliant document last validated/updated 10/21/2024

Completed Example of the Contract for Deed Document

Lake County Completed Example of the Contract for Deed Document

Example of a properly completed Illinois Contract for Deed document for reference.
Included Lake County compliant document last validated/updated 7/24/2024

Real Property Disclosure Form

Lake County Real Property Disclosure Form

An executed installment sales contract shall include a statement acknowledging that the seller provided the buyer with the installment sales contract disclosure
Included Lake County compliant document last validated/updated 10/29/2024

Lead Based Paint Disclosure Form

Lake County Lead Based Paint Disclosure Form

A Contract for Deed is subject to the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act
Included Lake County compliant document last validated/updated 10/23/2024

3-day Cancellation Notice Form

Lake County 3-day Cancellation Notice Form

Illinois State law requires a 3-day cooling-off period for installment sales contracts
Included Lake County compliant document last validated/updated 7/29/2024

When using these Contract for Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Lake County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Lake County Recorder of Deeds

18 N County St, 6th floor, Waukegan, Illinois 60085

Hours: 8:30 to 5:00 Monday through Friday

Phone: (847) 377-2575

Local jurisdictions located in Lake County include:

  • Antioch
  • Barrington
  • Buffalo Grove
  • Deerfield
  • Fort Sheridan
  • Fox Lake
  • Grayslake
  • Great Lakes
  • Gurnee
  • Highland Park
  • Highwood
  • Ingleside
  • Island Lake
  • Lake Bluff
  • Lake Forest
  • Lake Villa
  • Lake Zurich
  • Libertyville
  • Lincolnshire
  • Long Grove
  • Mundelein
  • North Chicago
  • Round Lake
  • Russell
  • Vernon Hills
  • Wadsworth
  • Wauconda
  • Waukegan
  • Winthrop Harbor
  • Zion

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Lake County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Lake County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Lake County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Lake County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Contract for Deed forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Lake County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Lake County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Illinois or Lake County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Lake County Contract for Deed forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

In Illinois, ("Installment sales contract" or "contract" means any contract or agreement, including a contract for deed, bond for deed, or any other sale or legal device whereby a seller agrees to sell and the buyer agrees to buy a residential real estate, in which the consideration for the sale is payable in installments for a period of at least one year after the date of sale, and the seller continues to have an interest or security for the purchase price or otherwise in the property.) ((765 ILCS 67/5) Sec. 5. Definitions)

Key requirements and considerations for a Contract for Deed in Illinois:
1. Written Agreement: The contract must be in writing and signed by both parties. It should include all the terms of the sale, such as the purchase price, payment schedule, interest rate, and responsibilities for taxes and maintenance.

2. Disclosure Requirements: The seller is required to provide certain disclosures to the buyer, including:
o Property Condition: Any known material defects in the property.
o Installment Payment Terms: Detailed terms of the installment payments, including interest rates and payment schedules.

3. Recording the Contract: The buyer should ensure the contract is recorded with the county recorder’s office to protect their interest in the property. This helps in providing notice to third parties and securing the buyer’s interest.

4. Equitable Title: While the seller retains legal title, the buyer receives equitable title, giving them the right to occupy and use the property.

5. Default and Forfeiture: The contract should outline what constitutes a default and the consequences, which may include forfeiture of the property. Illinois law provides some protections for buyers, such as requirements for notice and an opportunity to cure the default before forfeiture.

6. Interest and Fees: (The interest rate being charged, if any, expressed only as an annual percentage rate.) (765 ILCS 67/10) (5))


7. Compliance with Local Laws: Ensure the contract complies with all relevant local, state, and federal laws, including consumer protection laws.

8. Legal Description of Property: The contract should include a legal description of the property being sold.

9. Transfer of Title: The contract should specify that the seller will transfer the legal title to the buyer once all payments have been made and the terms of the contract are fulfilled.

10. Insurance and Taxes: The contract should specify who is responsible for paying property taxes and maintaining insurance on the property during the installment period.

11. Right to Prepay: (Prepayment penalties prohibited. The seller may not charge or collect a prepayment penalty or any similar fee or finance charge if the buyer elects to pay the outstanding principal balance of the purchase price under the contract before the scheduled payment date under the contract.) (765 ILCS 67/60)Sec. 60.)

12. (An amortization schedule, as defined in Section 5.) (765 ILCS 67/10)(23.)
[As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Amortization schedule" means a written schedule which sets forth the date of each periodic payment, the amount of each periodic payment that will be applied to the principal balance and the resulting principal balance, and the amount of each periodic payment that will be applied to any interest charged, if applicable, pursuant to the contract.] [765 ILCS 67/5] Sec. 5. Definitions]

13. A versatile Contract that can be used for installment payment and/or with ballon payment option. Use for residential, condominiums and rental properties. Residential property has additional requirements, a 3 day notice of Right to Cancel, RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY DISCLOSURE REPORT, residential homes built before 1978 require a Disclosure of Information and Acknowledgement-Lead-Based Paint and/or Lead-Based Paint Hazards. Included for your convenience.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Lake County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Lake County Contract for Deed form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

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Laura L.

July 22nd, 2023

The website looks good and probably like it is easy to use, but I needed a deed in lieu and couldn't fine one.

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March 14th, 2019

My first time using it; very fast service. I am an estate planning attorney (44 years). None of my old title company contacts are around anymore to provide deed copies, so this is a great source. I will be using it again.

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January 22nd, 2020

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January 16th, 2019

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November 4th, 2020

This site/service is amazing! The response is almost real-time and the fees are super reasonable. I will be using this again in the future should I need to file any other documents with the county and will also recommend it to others! Thank you!

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Kimberly E.

July 6th, 2019

It was very easy to order,download, and print. The only issue I have is that the guide that came with my form really did not help me filling it out. I feel the explanations could have been better and suited more for the standard person. I was still confused when filling it out and will probably have to get a lawyer to make sure it's filled out correctly

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September 30th, 2020

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March 8th, 2019

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June 11th, 2022

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April 14th, 2021

I appreciate the Guide and the Sample pages.

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December 4th, 2020

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