By CHARLES SELLE LAKE COUNTY NEWS-SUN | MAY 17, 2021 Like the celestial alignment of the moon with planets and stars, my Lake County property tax bill arrived just prior to this year’s federal and state income tax deadlines. Unlike those heavenly orbs, the coincidence wasn’t one of rapture. It was, well, taxing. Read More …
Other Ways You Can Reduce your Lake County Property Tax Burden!
Written by Ron Kingsley Lake County Appeal, Owner and Tax Attorney If Lake County Appeal 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 burden even more. Make certain that you are receiving all of those Read More …
Why does so much of my property tax bill go to public schools?
Written By Jill Odzer, Lake County Appeal, Commercial Analyst As one can see on any property tax bill, public schools command the highest portion of the total tax rate. Our clients often get angry at Lake County for that, but it’s not the county’s fault…Article 10, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution states, Read More …
Bill headed to Pritzker could set up a wave of annual property tax hikes
By, Rick Pearson Chicago Tribune Jun 25, 2021 SPRINGFIELD — Legislation headed to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk could set the stage for a wave of annual real estate tax increases across Illinois by giving local taxing bodies the ability to make up for refunds they’ve issued due to erroneous property over-assessments by shifting Read More …
Taxing Bodies, What are They?
Written By Jill Odzer, Lake County Appeal, Commercial Analyst Proceeds received from Illinois property tax bills are used to fund various taxing bodies. Most of the time, property owners only look at the bottom line of what is owed. However, if you look at the details of your property tax bill, you can see exactly where your Read More …
My Assessed Value is Too high! Is Lake County Doing this to Collect More Property Taxes?
Written by Ron Kingsley Lake County Appeal, Owner and Tax Attorney Many clients believe that Lake County has something to gain by over-assessing properties…That it will raise more property tax revenue if properties are over-assessed. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Lake County has nothing to gain by over-assessing properties. This is because Lake County determines the property tax proceeds it Read More …
ILLINOIS AGAIN RANKS NO. 2 IN U.S. FOR HIGHEST PROPERTY TAXES
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 …
Why Is My Property Tax Bill Higher Than My Neighbor’s?
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 …
The Two Most Common Grounds for Property Tax Appeals and the Differences Between Them
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 …
Lake County Treasurer announced a new free online payment option for property taxes.
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 …
How Often Should I Sign-up for an Assessment Review?
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 …
Commercial Property Owners May Be Able to Get Relief with a Property Assessment Appeal This Year.
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 …
10 New Year’s Resolutions for Homeowners
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 …
Property Tax Myths, Misconceptions, and Terms
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 …
Column: Remote learning should equal lower school tax bills
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 …
No, The Assessor Did Not Increase Your Property’s Assessed Value To Collect More Taxes!!!
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 …
Should My Taxes Be Reduced Since Everything is Shut Down?
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 …
Estimated 2021 tax levy shows 4% increase from previous year
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 …
Estimated 2021 tax levy shows 4% increase from previous year.
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 …
Pritzker announces launch of housing assistance programs
Written By, Peter Hancock, Herald & Review, Capitol News Illinois, 8/10/20 SPRINGFIELD — Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced a pair of housing assistance programs aimed at helping lower-income households meet their rent and mortgage payments during the pandemic. “The economic pain brought on by COVID-19 has impacted every Illinoisan, but no one Read More …
Revised, higher tax bills coming for some in District 118
Written By, Mick Zawislak – Daily Herald, 7/24/20 Taxpayers in the Lake County portion of Wauconda Unit School District 118 will be getting revised tax bills to include a charge to fill a $5.7 million shortage caused by a miscalculation. The error affects about 10,680 taxpayers in Lake County, which accounts for about Read More …
Amended 2019 Lake County Property Tax Bills
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 …
Covid-19 Closures Could Push Residential Property Tax Bills Higher In Coming Years
Business closures could shift property tax burdens to homeowners. Written By, Cole Lauterbach – Center Square Illinois, News Partner – July 17, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic could have lasting consequences for property owners, especially if business closures shift property tax burdens to homeowners. Property taxes aren’t implemented like income taxes, where a percentage of Read More …
What Can I Do to Fight Back?
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 …
Half Of Property Tax Payments Deferred By 60 Days In Lake County
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 …
The Property Tax Bill Shock
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 …
Study finds Illinois relies on property taxes more than most other states
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 …
COVID-19 RECESSION COULD DOUBLE ILLINOIS’ DELINQUENT MORTGAGE RATE IN 2020
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 …
Barrington SD220 to make $1M budget cut, expecting less property tax revenue due to COVID pandemic
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 …
Other Ways You Can Reduce your Lake County Property Tax Burden!
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 …
How LCA is here for our clients
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 …
Lake County residents pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation
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 …
Renewal Applications for Senior Freeze, Disabled Persons and Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemptions Will Not Be Required This Year Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
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 …
Column: ‘Red states, blue states — they all need the money,’ U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly says of stalled tax relief bill
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 …
‘Vastly abused and mismanaged’ underperforming TIF districts may be result of non-restrictive state statutes
Written By, Drew Zimmerman – Lake County Journal, May 28, 2020 • Editor’s note: This is part two of three stories on the performance of tax increment financing. In 2018, a total of 29 active tax increment financing districts existed within Community Unit District 300 based in Algonquin, leading to overall EAV growth of $296 million. Read More …
Half Of Property Tax Payments Deferred By 60 Days In Lake County
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 …
Home Is Where The Hurt Is: How Property Taxes Are Crushing Illinois’ Middle Class.
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 …
Property tax relief program leads Waukegan District 60 to take out new line of credit.
(Plus note: Lake County Board’s property tax deferred payment program link within article.) Written By, Emily Coleman, Chicago Tribune – Lake County News-Sun, May 15, 2020 The financial uncertainty caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic led Waukegan District 60 to pursue a $10 million line of credit it can use if need be. Read More …
When Is Best to Sign Up for An Assessment Review?
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 …
MORE ILLINOIS COUNTIES OFFER PROPERTY TAX DELAYS TO EASE COVID-19 LOSSES
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 …
What is Going to Happen with My Property Taxes?
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 …
Lake County Board Authorizes Deferred Payments For Hardship Due to COVID-19
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 …
ILLINOIS PROPERTY TAXES RANK NO. 2 IN THE NATION FOR THIRD YEAR RUNNING
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 …
Lake County residents getting partial reprieve on property tax payments
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 …
Column: Property tax plague waiver needed for Lake County homeowners
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 …
As the coronavirus spreads, a question: ‘Will mortgage rates stay low?’
Written By Ann Carrns, THE NEW YORK TIMES, March 18, 2020 “Will mortgage rates remain low?” Probably, for the time being. It’s a question many homeowners, and potential homebuyers, are asking. But with uncertainty rampant, thanks to turbulent financial markets and the spreading coronavirus, it’s hard to say for sure just how long they’ll Read More …
It’s Time to Do the Things You Keep Putting Off. Here’s How
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 …
Illinois is the least tax-friendly state, especially for homeowners, report says
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 …
More than corn in Indiana? Illinois needs to stop driving residents next door
Written by Chicago Sun Times Contributor, Orphe Divounguy, chief economist for the Illinois Policy Institute, February 13, 2020 Chicago and Illinois can’t tax their way out of this crisis. The only way property taxes can go down is for lawmakers to get the state’s biggest expense — public pensions — under control. “There’s Read More …
2020 Senior Freeze Information
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 …
Lake County home values hurt most by 2017 tax law
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 …
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.
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 …
Blue Assessment Notices Arriving, Finally!
By Lake County Appeal – 9/23/19 After a long summer of waiting for the Lake County Assessor to publish the 2019 property assessments, we have begun to see rapid movement. We are expecting property assessments in all 18 Lake County townships to be released by October 17. Lake County Appeal (LCA) is ready to Read More …
Home is where the hurt is: How property taxes are crushing Illinois’ middle class.
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 …
Administrative Bloat.
Written by, Adam Schuster, Director of Budget & Tax Research – Illinois Policy Illinois spends the most in the Midwest per student on education. But instead of going to classrooms, a big chunk of that money props up bloated education bureaucracy. Over 9,000 school administrators earned more than $100,000 per year, and they’ll Read More …
Illinois’ two major income tax hikes were major failures.
Written By, Austin Berg, Director of Content Strategy – Illinois Policy Illinois’ two major income tax hikes were major failures. That’s the takeaway from Illinois’ 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, or CAFR. It’s one of the state’s most important financial documents. And in true Illinois fashion, it was published 245 days late – Read More …
When Will My Blue Assessment Notice Arrive?
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 …
When Is Best To Sign Up For An Assessment Review?
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 …