The Property Tax Appeal Process in Cook County
by George N. Reveliotis
Every three years, a different geographical section of Cook County gets reassessed. Properties in the southern section of Cook County were reassessed in 2005. In 2006, the whole city of Chicago was reassessed. Finally, in 2007, the northern suburbs of Cook County will be reassessed. Then, the process begins all over again.
The property owner should receive a notice of reassessment in the mail when the County Assess or reassesses a property. This letter will include the Property Index Number, the address, the classification of the property, the pertinent factual information such as the square footages of the land and building, and the previous year's assessed value and the current year's proposed assessed value. In that letter the Assessor will notify the owner of his rights to an appeal. While the law allows the owner to file an appeal with the Assessor's Office, the formal process does not begin until the Board of Review (in Cook County). In other counties, it is very important to file an appeal with the local township Assessor.
Assuming an appeal was filed with the County Assessor, and the decision is not satisfactory, an appeal can be presented to the County Board of Review. The Board of Review is independent from the Assessor's Office and has the role of reviewing the County Assessor's assessments. The Board of Review can hear an appeal after it has been presented to the Assessor or a case of first impression. Finally, it is important to note that the taxes one pays are not based on the Assessor's proposed assessed values, but the Board of Review's certified assessed values.
If the property owner is not happy with the Board of Review's decision, one can file an appeal with the Property Tax Appeal Board or the Circuit Court. Any further reductions in assessed value at these two levels will result in refund checks because subsequent reductions will have deemed the owner of the property to have overpaid her or her taxes.
Finally, if an owner has not filed within the deadlines of the Board of Review, the Cook County Assessor's Office allows that property owner to file a certificate of error request. There are some technical limitations associated with this process which are too extensive for this article, but will be explained in depth in an upcoming issue later this year.
For additional information, contact our office today.
