Lake County Appeal’s residential clients frequently ask: Should I sign up every year?  Our answer is always the same (regardless of whether we found a property to be fairly assessed in the previous year or filed a successful appeal): Yes, you should sign-up every year for the following reasons: 

Written by Ron Kingsley, LCA Tax Attorney and Owner  

In general, I have found that Lake County Appeal’s clients are aware of one of the two most common grounds for property tax appeals in Lake County: one based on comparables sales (“comparable sales appeals”), and one based on equality of assessment (“uniformity of assessment appeals”).  However, they are often unaware that either (or both) can be grounds for a property tax appeal. 

Comparable Sales Appeals 

Written by Ron Kingsley, LCA Tax Attorney and Owner 

Understandably, around this time every year, clients frequently ask Lake County Appeal (“LCA”) when they will receive their blue assessment notices. No one wants to miss receiving theirs because, if there are grounds to file an appeal, the appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date on the blue assessment notice. After the 30-day period, nothing can be done to try to reduce this year’s property tax bill, which is payable next summer. 

Recently, I called the Lake County Assessor’s office to ask when the blue assessment notices will be released, and they gave me an answer which, frankly, surprised me due to its lack of specificity: “sometime between July and September”.