Lisa Rigoni BUDGET + TAX MARCH 4, 2021   Illinois again ranked second for the highest property tax rates in the nation in 2021, behind only New Jersey.   Illinois homeowners average $4,942 in property taxes on the U.S. median valued home of $217,500 – exactly double the national average. That’s a tax each year of Read More …

Written By Jill Odzer, Lake County Appeal, Commercial Analyst   This is a frequent question posed to Lake County Appeal.  The most likely answers are below.    As we have stated in other articles, the assessor places a value on your property based upon various characteristics such as land size and location (e.g., if your property backs Read More …

  Written by Ron Kingsley Lake County Appeal, Owner and Tax Attorney   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 comparable sales (“comparable sales appeals”), and one based on equality of assessment Read More …

    By: Lake County IllinoisTreasurer Posted on: January 4, 2021   $0 eCheck online Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim announced a new free online payment option for property taxes. Starting on January 4, 2021, Lake County property owners can use the electronic check payment option without paying a fee by accessing the electronic payment Read More …

Written by Ron Kingsley, Lake County Appeal Owner, and Tax Attorney 05/07/21   Taxpayers Should Sign-Up Annually for An Assessment Review 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 assessed fairly in the previous year, Read More …

Written by Jill Odzer, Lake County Appeal, Commercial Analyst 05/07/2021   Commercial property owners who have suffered due to the pandemic may be able to get relief with a property assessment appeal this year.  The assessors in Lake County understand how difficult the last year has been.  They also understand that losing businesses is not Read More …

  Family Handyman By Amanda Prischak, Dec. 15,2020   Show your home some serious love in 2021 with these 10 easy home improvement New Year’s resolution ideas. Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links.   Making a New Year’s Read More …

Separating Property Tax Truth From Fiction BY TONYA MORENO, CPA REVIEWED BY JANET BERRY-JOHNSON Updated September 13, 2020 More than a few property tax myths have been circulating out there for years. Part of the problem is that property taxes can be a complicated issue, full of mysterious-sounding terms, and this can make it even more difficult to separate Read More …

Written By, Charles Selle, Lake County News – Sun, July 29, 2020   Despite schools starting in a few weeks, barcode scanners at major retailers have been cold this month.  Who needs a new backpack when you’re at home, engaged in remote learning?   Whether it’s the “School Style Shop” nook or “College Kitchen” section at your Read More …

Written by Ron Kingsley, Lake County Appeal Owner and Tax Attorney   Literally, every day, at least one client calls me with the misconception that the assessor increased the client’s assessed value in order to collect more taxes.  No, no and no!!!  As Jill Odzer’s article aptly points out, the amount of taxes that the taxing bodies need to perform their functions determines the amount of Read More …

Written By Jill Odzer, Lake County Appeal Commercial Analyst   One common question I receive goes something like this, “Since everything is shut down, my taxes should be reduced, right?”  Although this may sound logical, it isn’t how property taxes work…Your property tax bill stems from two separate components:  The first component is the assessed value, which is supposed to be one-third of the fair market value of your property on January 1 Read More …

Written By, Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 8/12/20   Lake County residents will likely see a slight increase to a portion of their property taxes in 2021, but officials aren’t concerned about receiving more late payments as a result of the economic hardship amid the pandemic.  The Lake County estimated tax levy for 2021 is a 4% Read More …

By ALEXANDRA KUKULKA POST-TRIBUNE |AUG 12, 2020 AT 8:25 AM   Lake County residents will likely see a slight increase to a portion of their property taxes in 2021, but officials aren’t concerned about receiving more late payments as a result of the economic hardship amid the pandemic. The Lake County estimated tax levy for 2021 is a 4% Read More …

By Office of the Lake County Clerk July 24, 2020   Notification of Property Tax Arrearage and Amended 2019 Property Tax Bill for Lake County Taxpayers in Wauconda School District 118   Governmental bodies were under intense pressure to finalize the levy, an essential part of the property tax calculation, during the COVID-19 shutdown. The Read More …

  Written By Jill Odzer,Lake County Appeal Commercial Analyst   The property tax bill comes, and we all feel angst. In the year of Covid-19, protesting, rioting, and an upcoming election that continues to be very contentious, you may feel as though you need to take some control. Like many, I have felt a need Read More …

  Written By  Jonah Meadows Patch Staff     May 13, 2020   WAUKEGAN, IL — A divided Lake County board voted Tuesday to extend property tax deferrals to all taxpayers rather than limiting the relief to operators of non-essential businesses and some qualifying laid-off employees. Instead of the usual two installments, taxpayers will be able Read More …

Written by Ron Kingsley, Lake County Appeal Owner and Tax Attorney 7/10/2020   Many residential and commercial property owners were shocked by recent increases in property tax bills.  Part of the reason for the increases is that once every four years, properties in the “collar counties” of Illinois (such as DuPage, Kane, Lake, and McHenry Read More …

Written By Scot Bertram, The Center Square, June 22, 2020   (The Center Square) – A new report places Illinois among the states most reliant on property taxes for revenue.   According to 2017 figures, the most recent data available, compiled by the Tax Foundation, Illinois ranks 11th in that category and no better in Read More …

Written By, Illinois Policy – Orphan Divounguy, Chief Economist and Bryce Hill, Senior Research Analyst, June 16, 2020   Up to 130,000 Illinois homeowners could fall behind on their mortgage payments if state lawmakers fail to provide relief.   Illinois’ housing market was one of the weakest in the nation prior to 2020.   But Read More …

Written By, ALICIA FABBRE – CHICAGO TRIBUNE – PIONEER PRESS, 6/16/20   Anticipating a drop in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barrington School District 220 school board members agreed to trim the district’s budget for next fiscal year by $1 million.   The move, approved at the June 2 board meeting, would put a hold on Read More …

  Written by Ron Kingsley Lake County Appeal, Owner and Tax Attorney   If Lake County Appeal (“LCA”) can reduce your Lake County property’s assessed value, your property tax burden will decrease. Additionally, there are many exemptions available to taxpayers that can reduce the liability even more. Make certain that you are receiving all of Read More …

Written By Jill Odzer Lake County Appeal, Commercial Analyst   A lot is going on in the world; pandemic, natural disasters, and protests. Although LCA cannot do anything about these real and profoundly serious issues, we can do our part to lessen our clients’ stress over property taxes.   Our staff is working from home Read More …

Written by Joe Barnas, Budget & Tax www.IllinoisPolicy.org As property tax bills hit Lake County mailboxes, residents get a stark reminder that Illinois needs pension reform, not higher taxes.   Lake County homeowners last year paid higher property taxes – averaging $9,186 – than any other Illinois county, and the new bills are arriving in the Read More …

Written By, Lake County, IL Chief County Assessment Office, 6/15/20   Lake County residents who in 2019 applied for and received the Senior Citizen Freeze Homestead Exemption, the Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities, and the Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans With Disabilities will not be required to re-apply for those exemptions in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Read More …

Written By, Ted Slowik, Chicago Tribune – Daily Southtown, May 26, 2020   The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is creating talk of tax relief from the halls of Congress to county treasurer’s offices.   Policymakers seem to want to offer relief to businesses fighting to stay afloat during stay-at-home orders and homeowners struggling Read More …

The Lake County Board voted to allow taxpayers to divide their property tax bills into four installments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Jonah Meadows, Patch Staff May 13, 2020 1:21 pm CT|Updated May 14, 2020 9:36 am   WAUKEGAN, IL — A divided Lake County board voted Tuesday to extend property tax deferrals to all Read More …

Written By, by Austin Berg, Director of Content Strategy – Illinois Policy   Joel Schurtz lived all across the U.S. before coming to Illinois. He took promising job opportunities where he could find them, from California to Alabama. His wife, Michelle, and their three young children would follow.   “Our family always had a plan,” Read More …

Written by Ron Kingsley, Lake County Appeal Owner, and Tax Attorney 5/20/20   Taxpayers Should Sign-Up Annually for An Assessment Review 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 assessed fairly in the previous year, Read More …

  Written by, Illinois Policy – Ben Szalinski – Budget + Tax – April 29, 2020   Property tax delays give breathing room to homeowners, many of whom have gone more than a month without a paycheck because of the COVID-19 pandemic.   More Illinois counties have approved plans to delay property tax payments, offering Read More …

Written by Jill Odzer Lake County Appeal, Commercial Analyst As I write this, it appears the world is completely crazy.  Covid-19, quarantine, social distancing, PPE – Personal Protective Equipment (I didn’t even know what that was a month ago!) and so much more.  For property taxes in Lake County, it is business as usual.  Property Read More …

Written By Lake County IL, Treasurer’s Office News Posted on: May 12, 2020 Lake County, IL- The Lake County Board passed an ordinance for deferred payment of property taxes as a result of hardship due to the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. “We all want to help families and residents who are facing economic Read More …

Written By Brad Weinstein, Illinois Policy, Budget & Tax MARCH 2, 2020   Property taxes in Illinois are nearly double the national average. Until state lawmakers trim down thousands of local governments and pursue pension reform, those bills wills remain high. The average American family spends $2,375 on property taxes for their home, but the Read More …

Written by, Daily Herald – Mick Zawislak, 5/12/20 Lake County taxpayers can defer half their property tax payments for 60 days under a measure approved Tuesday to provide residents with some economic breathing room.   And in a significant change over what was being considered, a proposed requirement that residents show a need for the Read More …

By CHARLES SELLE – Chicago Tribune, LAKE COUNTY NEWS-SUN,  APR 20, 2020    Government giveth, and government taketh away.   The giving was from economic impact payments from the federal government which were deposited in bank accounts across Lake County last week. The taking will be as county property owners get their real estate tax bills Read More …

If you’re lucky enough to have a job that lets you shelter in place while you work, here are some ways to stay productive in your downtime. Written By, Lauren Goode, Wired, Apple News, 3.25.20   So you’re stuck at home. Let’s assume, for a brief moment of Best Case Scenario, that’s the worst of Read More …

Property taxes in Chicago really add up Written By, Curbed Chicago, Chicago Real Estate Reports – Sara Freund, January 24, 2020   Illinois is the least tax-friendly state in the country, according to a Kiplinger report, especially for homeowners.  Plus, new assessments led to big changes for some homeowners—as much as 11 percent increases in property tax Read More …

Lake County Illinois, March 3, 2020 Limited Income Seniors Are Encouraged to Apply for the Senior Freeze Exemption, Which Can Help Lower Property Tax Bills  Property owners age 65 and older who have total household incomes of $65,000 or less are encouraged to apply for the Senior Citizen’s Assessment Freeze.  This program may reduce property Read More …

Among about 3,100 U.S. counties, Lake ranks fifth in the damage done to future home values as a result of the cap on property tax deductions enacted two years ago.   Written By, Dennis Rodkin – Crain’s Chicago Business – 10/30/19   Home values in Lake County are among those hurt the most by the Read More …

Written by, Adam Schuster, Director of Budget & Tax Research  – Illinois Policy Institute, 9/24/19 Despite passing a record income tax hike in 2017, Illinois’ pension health remains the nation’s worst, according to one of the world’s leading credit rating agencies.   A new report from Moody’s Investors Service shows in fiscal year 2018, Illinois’ unfunded pension Read More …

By Lake County Appeal – 8/6/19 2019 assessment notices have not yet been released.  First notices (Antioch Township) will be released on 8/16/19, with most others to follow in September.  Lake County Appeal (LCA) is ready to begin reviewing your new assessment to bring you property tax justiceSM ! Wondering why these dates are so Read More …

Written by, Ron Kingsley, Lake County Appeal Owner and Tax Attorney 8/5/19 Taxpayers Should Sign-Up Annually for An Assessment Review. 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 we filed a successful Read More …