Cook leaders want property tax exemption crackdown law
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Assessor Joe Berrios on Tuesday urged state lawmakers to give them more capacity to go after property owners who improperly claim regulations and tax breaks, saying they could recover greater than $150 million in three years with the new authority.
Under legislation pending in Springfield, counties might go after back taxes from people who have wrongly received homestead exemptions. The tax break should only be applied to a property owner's primary residence, but people often also claim it to rent properties, vacation homes and secondary residences. Other property owners get inappropriate property tax reductions in price for being a senior citizen, disabled person or disabled veteran.
People who claimed multiple improper homestead exemptions also would be fined a portion of their unpaid taxes, as well as the county could place liens about the properties to try to compel home owners to pay up.
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A similar measure stalled in Springfield last year, which Berrios blamed on pressure from real estate agents and landlords who oppose the program. The assessor also said the prior version of the bill got weighed down by unrelated proposals that got attached to it during the legislative process.
“This bill can be a stand-alone,” Berrios said at a news conference, explaining why he's optimistic the new version will pass.
Based on the number of exemption cheats he said he has found thus far, Berrios estimated $154 million will be returned to the county, school districts and stuff like that during the first 36 months the plan was in effect.
Last October, the Tribune found numerous types of public officials collecting improper homestead exemptions. Plus they were just a few examples among thousands of taxpayers who have benefited - intentionally or otherwise not - from tax breaks they are not entitled to receive, the newspaper disclosed.
Preckwinkle described it a matter of fairness. “Residents must bear the financial burden when their neighbors wrongfully take property tax exemptions, and this legislation is about leveling the game,” Preckwinkle said.
The latest version of the measure has passed the House, and Berrios said he's dealing with Senate President John Cullerton to create support.
Assessor spokeswoman Kelly Quinn said Berrios is working with lawmakers show them a plan to let seniors apply for their property tax exemption every three years instead of requiring them to do so each year.
Seniors accustomed to automatically get the exemption, nevertheless the General Assembly changed the law in 2010 to require them to reapply each year. A plan Berrios endorsed to make the senior exemption automatic once again stalled in the House this past year, in part because House Speaker Michael Madigan didn't support it.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Assessor Joe Berrios on Tuesday urged state lawmakers to give them more power to go after property owners who improperly claim tax breaks, saying they could recover more than $150 million in three years with the new authority.
Under legislation pending in Springfield, counties could go after back taxes from individuals who have wrongly received homestead exemptions. The tax break should simply be applied to a property owner's primary residence, but people often also claim it to book properties, vacation homes and secondary residences. Other homeowners get inappropriate property tax reductions in price for being a senior citizen, disabled person or disabled veteran.
Individuals who claimed multiple improper homestead exemptions would not be fined a share of their unpaid taxes, and the county could place liens about the properties to try to compel home owners to pay up.
A similar measure stalled in Springfield a year ago, which Berrios blamed on pressure from real estate professionals and landlords who oppose the master plan. The assessor also said the previous version of the bill got weighed down by unrelated proposals that got mounted on it during the legislative process. “This bill is really a stand-alone,” Berrios said at a news conference, explaining why he's optimistic the new version will pass.
Depending on the number of exemption cheats he explained he has found to date, Berrios estimated $154 million will be returned to the county, school districts and so on during the first 3 years the plan was in effect.
Last October, the Tribune found numerous samples of public officials collecting improper homestead exemptions. And they were just a few examples among a large number of taxpayers who have benefited - intentionally or otherwise - from tax breaks they are not entitled to receive, the newspaper disclosed.
Preckwinkle described it as being a matter of fairness. “Residents must bear the financial burden when their neighbors.
