If you have an escrow (impound) account with your mortgage, your taxes will be automatically paid out of that account. If for any reason there isn’t enough money in the escrow account, they will pay them anyway and a few months later you will get a letter raising the monthly payments enough to absorb the higher cost.

Is there something that precludes you renting the house while you are away? That could provide enough money to make your mortgage payments.

If you have not paid your mortgage and escrow payments, the only amount of funds in your escrow to pay property taxes will be what you have paid in. It’s probably not sufficient to pay the annual property taxes on the property. In other words, if the property taxes are $3,000 and your escrow account only contains $1,500, then the other $1,500 will need to come out of your pocket.

The State of Illinois has nothing to do with your property taxes. That is handled by the municipality in which the property is located. You will need to contact the treasurer of said municipality and attempt to explain your dilemma. They may work with you on deferred payment, but the taxes due will not go away. Such municipalities are not covered under The Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act. Property taxes follow the property, not the owner.

How much money is in your escrow account? If it’s enough to pay the taxes, then the bank will use it to pay the taxes.

If not, the escrow may not pay the taxes and one of two things will happen: either the lender will make an escrow advance and then begin foreclosure proceedings, or you’ll have to pay the taxes yourself. If the escrow does not pay the tax bill,
you may be entitled to temporary stay of the tax bill under the SSCRA but it is not automatic; you would have to petition a court in the relevant jurisdiction for relief.

(Finally, I think you may be a little confused about something. SSCRA gets you a 6% interest rate. It does not get you out of the obligation to make payments altogether. I am surprised you aren’t already in foreclosure!)