Barrington and Lemont Assessment Notices Mailed

Cook County Property Tax AppealAssessment notices were mailed today by the Cook County Assessor’s office to homeowners in the townships of Barrington and Lemont. If your home is in either of these townships you have until July 5th to review and appeal your assessment at the Assessor’s office. There will be a second appeal opportunity later this year at the Board of Review.

The best way to ensure you never pay more than your fair share in property taxes is to review your assessment every year and appeal whenever you have a strong basis for an appeal argument, no matter where your township is at in the triennial reassessment cycle. Others also recommend this approach.
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Assessor’s Office Announces New Model for Property Assessments

new-assessment-model-does-not-end-need-for-appealIn a year in which the Cook County property tax system was repeatedly declared broken – by  investigative journalists, a non-profit group, an academic study and, indirectly, the voters who decided in March not to return Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios to office – the Cook County Assessor’s Office has announced a new model for residential property assessments it describes as a “huge step forward for Cook County.”

In recent months, the Civic Consulting Alliance (CCA), the University of Chicago, ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune have documented flaws in the county’s property tax system that have led to a whopping transfer of taxes on undervalued homes and pricey commercial properties to homeowners with the least valuable homes. Berrios noted in the press release that he operated under a system that he inherited and that has been in place for 40 years. Nevertheless, the office has pledged to work to fix the process.
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Calumet Township Assessment Notices Mailed

Calumet2018 assessment notices were mailed today by the Cook County Assessor’s office to homeowners in Calumet Township. If your home is in Calumet Township you have approximately one month to appeal your assessed value at the Assessor’s office, up to the deadline of July 2nd.

Calumet Township was reassessed in 2017 so a successful appeal in 2018 may result in two years of savings, until Calumet is reassessed in 2020. The best way to ensure you never pay more than your fair share in property taxes is to review your assessment every year and appeal whenever you have a strong basis for an appeal argument, no matter where your township is at in the triennial reassessment cycle. Others also recommend this approach.
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Assessment Notices Mailed to Stickney Township

StickneyTwnSealStickney Township 2018 assessment notices were mailed to homeowners by the Cook County Assessor’s office today. If your property is in Stickney Township you have 30 days to appeal your assessed value at the Assessor’s office, up to the deadline of June 22nd.

Stickney Township was reassessed in 2017 but even if you appealed last year you may appeal your assessment again this year. A successful appeal in 2018 may result in two years of savings, until Stickney is reassessed in 2020. The best way to ensure you never pay more than your fair share in property taxes is to review your assessment every year and appeal whenever you have a strong basis for an appeal argument, no matter where your township is at in the triennial reassessment cycle. Others also recommend this approach.
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Northfield Township Assessment Notices Mailed

NorthfieldAssessment notices for tax year 2018 have been mailed to property owners in Northfield Township. If your home is in Northfield Township you have one month to appeal your assessed value at the Assessor’s office until the deadline of June 21st.

Northfield Township was reassessed in 2016 but you may appeal your assessment every year. A successful appeal in 2018 will result in one year of savings, until Northfield is reassessed in 2019. The best way to ensure you never pay more than your fair share in property taxes is to review your assessment annually and appeal whenever you have a strong basis for an appeal argument, no matter where your township is at in the triennial reassessment cycle. Others also recommend this approach.
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Assessment Notices Mailed to Lyons Township

Lyons 1The Cook County Assessor’s office mailed 2018 assessment notices to Lyons Township property owners on Monday, May 14th. If your home is in Lyons Township you have 30 days to appeal your assessment at the Assessor’s office until the deadline of June 14th.

Lyons Township was reassessed in 2017 but you can appeal your assessment every year. A successful appeal in 2018 may result in two years of savings, until Lyons is reassessed in 2020. We recommend you review your assessment annually and appeal at the Assessor’s office and the Board of Review whenever you have a strong basis for an appeal argument. This is the best way to ensure you never pay more than your fair share in property taxes. Others also recommend this approach.
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Board of Review Opens Group 7 Townships for Appeals

The Cook County Board of Review has opened Group 7 townships for 2017 property tax appeals. If your home is located in one of the townships listed below you have until the deadline of January 16th to appeal your 2017 assessment at the Board of Review.Cook County Property Tax Appeal

  • Northfield
  • Thornton
  • Hyde Park
  • Lake
  • North Chicago
  • South Chicago

If you do not know which township your property is located in you can either contact us with your property address and we will look it up for you or you can click here.
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Group 6 Townships Open for Appeals at Board of Review

Why Appeal Cook County & Chicago Property Taxes Every YearTownships in Group 6 opened for 2017 property tax appeals at the Board of Review today. If your property is located in one of the townships listed below you have until the deadline of January 9th to appeal your 2017 assessment at the Cook County Board of Review.

  • Orland
  • Proviso
  • Jefferson

If you are not sure which township your property is located in you can either contact us with your address and we will look it up for you or you can click here.
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Conozca Cómo Kensington le Ayuda a Ahorrar Miles de Dólares en Impuestos Prediales a Propietarios de Viviendas Hispanohablantes en el Condado de Cook

Impuestos Perdial en Chicago y Cook CountyCon más de $900 millones de dólares en nuevas alzas de impuestos prediales – solo implementados parcialmente – los propietarios de vivienda en Chicago y el condado de Cook están sintiendo el dolor.

Dependiendo de dónde viva, su situación podría ser mucho peor.

(Foto cortesía de Adam Jones, PhD)
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Are Your Property Taxes Getting Ahead of Your Property Value?

Chicago & Cook County Foreclosures & Property Tax Appeals

At Kensington Research and Recovery, our goal is to make sure our clients do not pay more than their fair share of property taxes.

That requires careful scrutiny of comparable properties or “comps” to make sure that the value the tax assessor sets is fair. We know from having assisted with more than 24,000 successful residential appeals, it often isn’t. There are many ways that property tax assessments can end up inflated, leaving homeowners paying more in taxes than they should.

But for people who live in areas hit hard by economic downturn, inflated assessments can be a financial disaster, eventually costing homeowners more than their properties are worth – especially when foreclosures and short sales in your area are not factored into your property taxes.
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