O'Connor has explained when property owners can file their appeals.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 19, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In Cook County, Illinois, the Cook County Assessor’s Office reassesses the value of all properties in the city every three years. This process is known as the triennial reassessment. Depending on the township and suburb – North suburb South suburb, and City of Chicago- property owners in Cook County will receive the reassessment of their property and file for an appeal.

When To File an Appeal?

At the time that a township is “open” for assessment and appeals, property owners in Cook County will get a Reassessment Notice in the mail. “Open” signifies that the filing period is officially published and is available to all residents of a township. It is the period during which you may submit your appeal to the Cook County Assessor’s office. A minimum of 30 days is required for the opening of all townships.

The reassessment notice will include critical information, such as the newly estimated fair market value of their property. Each township has its own length of time for filing an appeal. Property owners in Cook County have the opportunity to file an appeal up to the deadline for filing appeals.

This year, the reassessment of properties in the South and West Suburbs, as well as those in the North Suburbs, will not take place. If, on the other hand, a particular property goes through major modifications that are associated with division work, permit applications, or other special applications, then it is possible that the property can be reassessed. Given these particular circumstances, the owner of the property would be sent a Reassessment Notice that would include the updated estimate of the property’s Fair Market Value.

Following the sending of reassessment letters to taxpayers, appeals are allowed for a period of time that is generally twenty days. In the second or third year of a “triennial” cycle, they may be included in the submission materials.

How To Appeal Your Property Taxes?

Cook County allows many options for submitting an appeal to the Board of Review (BOR). The most convenient method is to submit the application online or in person at the BOR or a satellite office. Attending an “outreach seminar” sponsored by the Commissioners is the third method of filing an appeal. The Board of Review’s services are made available to property owners through these seminars, which are conducted in neighborhoods and communities. The staff is consistently available to provide assistance in filing an appeal and to address any inquiries. It is important to note that you may not be able to file an appeal for the previous year. If you have received a reduction from the assessor’s office, you are still able to file an appeal. The Assessor’s final decision is not binding on the BOR. You are not at a disadvantage regardless of whether the assessor has approved or denied a request to reduce the assessment. In short, even if you see your value reduced by the assessor, if you disagree and feel your property value should be further reduced, filing an appeal with the BOR is still an option.

What To Bring for Appeal

To file an appeal, you may bring any evidence you would like the BOR to consider, depending upon the type of property being appealed. For each type of property there are a few things the property owner must prepare. The following is a short list of guidelines for the owner must adhere to file an appeal for residential and commercial property.

Files/Case Document

How To Present a Case for Residential Property

Individual taxpayers are permitted to represent themselves before the Board of Review (BOR).
Taxpayers are required to submit an appeal by the official closing date for the Township in which the property is situated.

The official BOR Complaint Form must be used to submit appeals. A BOR Complaint Number serves as evidence that an appeal has been submitted to the BOR.

An individual taxpayer may seek a hearing for any cause, but Appellants should only request one for a unique case or to provide material that cannot be understood without one. A hearing may be requested when submitting a complaint.
The most common reasons for submitting an appeal for Pro Se appellants are uniformity, recent purchases, high market value, correction of factual error, and other special circumstances (fire, flood, and other unforeseeable circumstances).

Commercial Hearings

As a property owner, a hearing is an opportunity for you to present your case to a Board of Review (BOR) Analyst regarding the rationale behind the reduction in your property assessment. It is an opportunity to present your evidence and any unique circumstances that may have influenced your assessment. Attendance at a hearing is not mandatory for taxpayers who appeal to the BOR. The analytical process employed by BOR analysts is consistent for complaints that request hearings and those that do not. Property owners typically attend hearings if they believe that the BOR would be unable to determine certain unique circumstances specific to their property that cannot be communicated through written submissions.

Townships are responsible for scheduling hearings. Hearings will be scheduled by the BOR after a township has closed for filing. If you selected to participate in a hearing when submitting the BOR complaint form, you will receive a hearing notice via mail. The precise date and time of the hearing will be specified in the hearing notice.

The following is a short list of documentation necessary to bring to the hearing if you choose to attend:

- The hearing notice you received from the mail
- A photograph of the exterior of your property, as well as the photographs and property identification numbers of other properties that you wish to compare to your own.
- Documentation, such as a flood/fire report or appraisal, may serve as additional evidence.

Taxpayers who elect to provide evidence to support their complaint are encouraged to submit a notarized statement that outlines the reasons they believe their property is over-assessed.

Assessor Filing and Board of Review Filing

The northern suburbs, southern suburbs, and the City of Chicago are the three areas into which Cook County is divided. Cook County is divided into 36 townships for the purpose of assessment. Depending on the township, deadlines for assessor filing and Board of Review (BOR) filing vary. For example, the assessor filing deadline or 2024 for Cook County townships West Chicago is June 20, 2024, and for Lake View it is August 14, 2024. It is important to note that not every township is reassessed in the same year.

The following is a short list of the townships and their respective assessor filing deadline for 2024:

- Rogers Park – April 17, 2024
- West Chicago – June 20, 2024
- Lake View – August 14, 2024
- Hyde Park – September 11, 2024

In Cook County, the dates for 2024 BOR filing deadline are not presently available.

How Can O’Connor Help

O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ assists homeowners in lowering property taxes. The program advocates for Cook County, Illinois property owners facing excessive assessments, working to achieve successful reductions. Expert property tax professionals guide owners through the appeal process, analyzing appeals, comparable market sales, and current assessments. No fees are charged unless tax cuts are secured, with costs based on savings achieved. Join the Property Tax Protection Program™ to effectively lower assessment values.

About O’Connor:

O’Connor is among the largest property tax consulting firms in the United States, providing residential property tax reduction services in Texas, Illinois, and Georgia, as well as commercial property tax reduction services across the United States. O’Connor’s team of professionals possess the resources and market expertise in the areas of property tax, cost segregation, commercial and residential real estate appraisals. The firm was founded in 1974 and employs more than 900 professionals worldwide. O’Connor’s core focus is enriching the lives of property owners through cost effective tax reduction.

Property owners interested in assistance appealing their assessment can enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program ™. There is no upfront fee, or any fee unless we reduce your property taxes, and easy online enrollment only takes 2 to 3 minutes.

Patrick O'Connor, President
O'Connor
+ +1 713-375-4128
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