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Property Taxes Going Up
Read article here.
Reform in the News.
Watch our news sections and mailings in the coming weeks for updates on reform initiatives supported by Raila & Associates. Among the priorities for 2008-09 are efforts to bring remedies for property owners who are billed for back taxes i.e. "Omitted Assessments" because of no fault of there own. In Cook County, "Added Assessments" are used to correct for past mistakes, with the tax payers owner required to pay penalties of up to 10% per year.
The company is also pushing for simple solutions to make erroneous tax overpayments by owners to be automatically refunded, as is standard practice in so many taxing jurisdicitions outside of Cook County.
In addition, Raila & Associates believes it would be best to have tax bills sent directly to owners of record, rather than escrow companies, while simultaneously lowering the costs for taxpayers and escrow companies to request tax bill copies.
Over the years, Andrea Raila has provided voice to the needs for campaign finance reform and advocated for transparency in the process of assessments and appeals. More people are raising similar concerns.
See Article in Chicago Sun-Times.
Co-owner Michael Rohrbeck’s Letter to Crain's in 2005 sparked cartoons and a statewide dialogue in 2006 about the issues Tax Increment Financing Districts (TIFs). A well-spring of support culminated in a legislative push for reform. This has been stalled in the state legislature, but supporters hold out hope for future action.
Visit AffordableHousingInnovation.org.
An article in 2005 by Andrea Raila has relevance and currency about the inappropriate tactics used by some tax consultants, and the confusion inherent in the tax appeal system.
See Andrea’s Evanston Review Letter.
TIF Letter + Cartoon
Mike Rohrbeck responds to Crain's exposé about hundreds of millions going unspent in Chicago tax increment finance.
See Mike Rohrbeck's response.
Commercial Property Owners May File Tax Appeals to the State Tax Appeal Board
In 1996 the Illinois legislature passed a property tax reform bill that allowed all Cook County property owners the right to file for property tax relief before the Illinois State Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB).
PTAB has been active for 6 years providing property tax relief to thousands of Cook County taxpayers. 90% of taxpayers who seek relief at this third state level administrative agency get good results.
All other 101 Illinois counties have given property owners the right to go to the state with a tax appeal complaint. Allowing 3 administrative agencies to hear property tax assessment appeals is a recognized national standard.
Taxpayers, chambers of commerce, civic groups, property manager and many Raila clients, urged their legislators to stop this unequal treatment of property owners.
The bill was soundly defeated!
WHAT NEWS COVERAGE SAID:
Near West/South Gazette---"In what taxpayer advocates are calling a 'stunning victory' for Cook County businesses, the Illinois House of Representatives on May 20 defeated a bill that already had been passed by the Illinois State Senate proposing to eliminate businesses' acess to the State's Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB)..."
Crain's Chicago Business---"PTAB still lives! in Cook County aside from this one minor detail...PTAB's budget was slashed big time: by $1 million, to $1.8 million, for the fiscal year..."
Another taxpayer victory, SB 813 (sponsors Sen. Miguel del Valle & Rep. William Delgado) was passed with every Senator and Representative voting Yes! A Raila client, owner-operator of a mid-sized manufacturing plant, was notified by the Assessor's office that their staff failed to assess all improvements (secondary buildings, garages, huts, fences, etc.) on his parcel through no fault of the property owner.
The property owner was back-taxed for 2 years at $27,000+ and told to pay within 30 days or face fines and penalties! The passage of SB 813 (initiated by Raila's client & supported by Assessor James M. Houlihan) allows property owners who receive "omitted assessment notices" to pay the back taxes when the second installment tax bill arrives. Omitted assessment notices can also be challenged in the appeals process.
Photo: Committee hearings
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