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Over
the last several years, due to the historic changes in
the housing market, the Lake County Board of Review -
the panel responsible for reviewing
and making determinations on property assessment appeals
- has seen a drastic increase in the volume of appeals
from taxpayers. Recent appeal filings from three
townships show an increase between 100% and 400%.
To
more efficiently manage this high volume of appeals,
expedite the process, and produce faster results for
taxpayers, the Board of Review (BOR) will issue a
preliminary decision and attempt to settle the case
without going to a formal hearing. The BOR evaluates
evidence submitted from the taxpayer (or their
representative), and the township assessors. In those
cases where the evidence supports a clear determination,
the BOR member can make a preliminary decision and
present it to the taxpayer who can choose to accept it,
or decide to pursue a formal hearing.
Chief County Assessment Officer Marty
Paulson recommended the change to the Board of Review
after seeing the success of a similar program in
Winnebago County, Illinois.
"This
change will result in a time savings for taxpayers
because in most instances they will not have to come to
Waukegan for a hearing. We will be able to resolve their
appeals much faster," Paulson said. "Over the last few
years, the volume of appeals has increased by four
fold. As a result, the BOR started doing
limited preliminary reviews - about 30% of the cases -
and taxpayers were satisfied with the
results."
In
addition to providing a convenience to taxpayers, the
new process reduces the number of in-person hearings,
allowing the BOR to more efficiently manage the
increased number of appeals, and conduct hearings within
a timely manner. This change will benefit township
assessors as well, allowing them to use their staff time
more effectively in preparing the evidence for
cases. Furthermore, it is critical that the Board
of Review process is not delayed so that final
assessments are reported to the treasurer in time to
distribute tax bills.
For
more information about the Board of Review, and the
appeal process, visit www.lakecountyil.gov/assessor.
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