Author Archives: admin2

How to Read Your Cook County Property Tax Bill

How to Read Your Cook County Property Tax BillIt’s probably your least favorite piece of mail that you will receive all year: your Cook County property tax bill. How do you read it, when can you appeal it, when are these reductions applied, and when are property tax exemptions applied?

Read on: all will be revealed in this blog post.

First Installment & Due Date

Unless you are a fully exempt veteran that is disabled 70% or more, the first installment of your Cook County property tax bill is automatically calculated to be 55% of the total that was due in the previous year. A law passed by the Illinois Legislature in 2009 raised the first installment tax from 50% to 55% of the prior year’s total tax. The first installment payment due date is always the first business day in March.
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Commercial Property Managers: The Property Tax Appeal Success Formula

Commercial Property Tax AppealsFew issues are as complex as Chicago property taxes for commercial property owners, with factors like perceived market value, income, and several other factors determining your tax bill. Given the fiscal crises in Illinois, Chicago and other municipalities, the likelihood of future commercial property tax hikes is strong.

The Good News: there is an easy, no-risk way for commercial property managers like you to save their owner clients thousands per year on their property taxes.
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Partial Property Tax Deferral Available for Some Harris County Residents

Harris County

If you live in Harris County Texas and you’re worried that you won’t be able to pay the total amount due on your property taxes, a deferral is an option to postpone paying part of them.

It’s a deferral of taxes on increases in the value of your primary residence and it allows you to postpone paying taxes on a portion of the appreciating value of your home. You must file a tax deferral affidavit to take advantage of this option, which can be done for free at the Harris County Appraisal District’s (HCAD) office.

How Does It Work?

According to HCAD, this residence homeowner tax deferral allows eligible homeowners to pay property taxes on 105% of the preceding year’s appraised value of their home, plus the taxes on new improvements, and postpone paying the remainder for as long as they own and live in the house. The remainder of the taxes must be paid on time every year and interest on the deferred amount will accrue at 8% a year.
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Are All Property Tax Appeal Services the Same?

Property Tax Appeal Service: Buyer BewareAs with many things, doing your homework is the key to success in appealing your property tax assessment, especially in Chicago and throughout Cook County.

Some homeowners receive mailings from lawyers and other services they never heard of. Others see billboards and other advertising from online services. Are they legit or is it a scam? Do they have the right experience or is it vaporware?

Here’s what you can do to determine whether to use a property tax appeal service and which one could be the right fit for you.
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Assessment Notices Mailed For New Trier and Norwood Park

Assessment notices have been mailed by the Cook County Assessor’s office for New Trier and Norwood Park. If you own property in either of these townships the one month window to appeal your 2017 assessment at the Assessor’s office is now open. The deadline to file an appeal is April 3rd.Cook County Property Tax Appeal

Cook County has 38 townships which it divides into three groups for the purposes of reassessment: city, north suburbs and south suburbs. New Trier and Norwood Park townships are both located in the north suburbs group.  The next scheduled triennial reassessment year for the north suburbs group is 2019. However, you may appeal your assessment every tax year, including in non-reassessment years. Due to regular changes in the housing market we believe reviewing your assessment annually, to determine whether or not an appeal makes sense, is in your best interest.

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Oak Park Property Assessment Notices Mailed

Oak ParkThe Cook County Assessor’s office has mailed 2018 assessment notices to Oak Park homeowners. Property owners have 30 days to appeal their assessment, through the Assessor’s office, up to the deadline of Monday, April 2nd.

Whether you successfully appealed your Oak Park property last year or not we recommend you review your assessed value every year to ensure you never pay more than your fair share in property taxes. The housing market changes monthly, and therefore reviewing your assessment annually, and appealing when there is an argument to be made, is very important (county officials also recommend this).
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Property Tax Exemption Deadline Approaching for Some Cook County Homeowners

Exemption Deadlines for Some Cook County Homeowners ApproachingEligible Cook County homeowners who did not receive the Homeowner Exemption in 2018 need to file an application for exemption with the Cook County Assessor’s Office by March 6.

The Homeowner Exemption reduces the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of a primary residence by $10,000. Your property tax bill is calculated by multiplying the tax rate in your local district by the EAV. The Homeowner Exemption is available to anyone who owns or leases their principal place of residence in Cook County and is responsible for the property taxes.

The exemption renews automatically so it is not necessary to reapply if you are still living in the same home where you received the exemption last year.
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Cook County Homeowners Risk Paying Too Much in Property Taxes When They Don’t Appeal

Cook County Homeowners Risk Paying Too Much in Property Taxes When They Don't AppealThe least favorite piece of mail Cook County homeowners receive hit their mailboxes last month: the dreaded property tax bill.

It requires payment by March 1 of a sum equal to 55% of last year’s taxes. And it’s only the first tax installment. The second, in July, will reflect last year’s big tax increases and those planned this year for Cook County and Chicago.

“Ironically, these tax bills serve as a reminder that you should always appeal your taxes, but by the time you receive the bill it is often too late to appeal for that year,” said Frank Dal Bello, CEO of Kensington Research and Recovery, the Chicago-based, Cook County property tax appeal and refund recovery consultants.

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Assessor Mails 2017 Oak Park Reassessment Notices

Triennial reassessment notices were mailed on March 1st for Oak Park Township. The opportunity to appeal your assessment at the Assessor’s office is now open. The deadline to appeal is Monday, April 3rd.Cook County Property Tax Freeze

There are 38 townships in Cook County and they are divided into three groups for the purposes of reassessment within a triennial cycle. Oak Park Township is part of the south suburban triennial group which is being reassessed in 2017. Valuation statistics for Oak Park Township are located here.

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