Any redemption made under Sections 12-132 through 12-136 of this Act, by any judgment creditor, his or her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns after the expiration of 3 months and within 6 months after the original sale, is subject to subsequent redemption within 6 months after the date of the original sale by any defendant, his or her heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, or any person interested in the premises through or under the defendant, in the manner provided in this Section. In the event there is a redemption by any defendant, his or her heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, or any person interested in the premises through or under the defendant, in accordance with Section 12-122 or this Section 12-137, the right to further redemption by any judgment creditor, his or her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, is terminated, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act. Any such defendant, his or her heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, or any person interested in the premises through or under the defendant, having a right to redeem, may redeem by paying to the sheriff or other proper officer the amount at which the premises were last redeemed by the judgment creditor, his or her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, with interest thereon at the rate of 10% per annum, from the date of the last redemption; however, if the premises were sold pursuant to such last redemption for an amount greater than the redemption money, interest and costs, then the amount payable shall be the amount for which the premises were sold, together with interest on that amount at the rate of 10% per annum from the time of such sale, and costs of sale.
12-137.Subsequent redemptions.
Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 1. In General · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceSection 12-137 lets the debtor, heirs, or anyone claiming through the debtor redeem within six months of the original sale even after a creditor already has, by paying the last redemption or resale price plus 10% interest, and once that debtor-side redemption happens no creditor may redeem again.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/12-137
Plain-English Summary
This section governs the debtor's side of the redemption chain that Sections 12-132 through 12-136 set up on the creditor side. Any redemption a judgment creditor makes under those sections, between three and six months after the original sale, stays open to a further redemption by the defendant, the defendant's heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, or anyone interested in the premises through the defendant, within six months of the original sale.
To redeem under this section, that person pays the sheriff or other proper officer the amount at which the premises were last redeemed by the judgment creditor, with 10% annual interest from that last redemption date. If the premises sold for more than the redemption money at the last resale, the amount owed instead is that higher sale price, with 10% interest from the sale plus costs.
The section also says that once a defendant, heir, executor, administrator, assign, or person interested through the defendant redeems under this section or under Section 12-122, the right of any judgment creditor to redeem further ends, regardless of any other provision in the Act. That termination language explains why Section 12-133 asks whether a Section 12-137 right still exists before deciding whether to issue a certificate of purchase or a deed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who may redeem under Section 12-137?
The defendant, or the defendant's heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, or anyone interested in the premises through the defendant.
How long after the original sale can this redemption happen?
Within 6 months after the original sale.
What must be paid to redeem under Section 12-137?
The amount at which the premises were last redeemed by the judgment creditor, with 10% annual interest from that redemption; or, if the last resale brought a higher price, that sale price with 10% interest and costs.
What happens to judgment creditors' redemption rights once someone redeems under this section?
The right of any judgment creditor to redeem further is terminated, notwithstanding any other provision of the Act.
Does Section 12-137 apply only after creditor redemptions under Sections 12-132 through 12-136?
Yes, it addresses redemption following those creditor redemptions, and it also ties into redemption under Section 12-122.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 84-1462.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: debtor redemption after creditor illinoissix month redemption debtor illinoisterminating creditor redemption rights illinois