The real estate tax appeals process has begun! When we sent our last newsletter, you had probably just received your real estate tax bill and noticed it had increased over last year's bill. This may have been because the assessed value of your home increased.
Now is the time to take note of the assessed value and appeal it if it seems too high.
Many municipalities in Illinois have already sent the "blue sheets" which show this assessed value. After the "blue sheet" is mailed, you have 30 days or so to file an appeal if you believe that your township has over-valued your property, which can lead to a higher real estate tax bill next year.
The following link shows the filing deadlines for appeals in townships in Lake County:
Again, you should note that many of these deadlines are coming up soon. Once you receive your real estate tax bill next spring, it will be too late to appeal it through this process.
For example, the deadline to file appeals for property in Shields Township is August 15, 2016. Our office requires 10 days to process appeals for our clients, so the deadline for submitting requests and documents to our office is 10 days prior to the township deadline. In other words, if you live in
Shields Township and you would like me to help you file an appeal,
I will need all of your documentation by August 5, 2016.
So, how can we determine if you have a case to file an appeal? It depends on the answer to this question:
Did you purchase your home or have it appraised in 2015?
If the answer to this question is "yes", you might already have the documentation needed to determine the advisability of an appeal: a "Master Statement" or "HUD" from your real estate purchase or the appraisal report. If you have these documents, I can help you determine whether it makes sense to proceed with an appeal.
If the answer to the question is "no", you may want to have your home appraised by a licensed professional before submitting an appeal. Some professional appraisers may charge you a relatively small fee to do a preliminary assessment, which they will, in some cases, apply towards their larger appraisal fee if you decide to move forward. Once you have an appraisal report, I can help you file an appeal.
Don't hesitate to
847-234-0099 or
email us if you have any questions about this process. We'll be happy to help.
