2019 Appeal Period for Oak Park Open Until April 19th
2019 TAX APPEAL PERIOD OPENS FOR OAK PARK
Contact person: Ali ElSaffar
The Cook County Assessor’s office has announced that it will be accepting appeals of the assessed valuations of Oak Park properties between March 19 and April 19, 2019. According to Oak Park Township Assessor Ali ElSaffar, this appeal period is the first of two opportunities Oak Park residents will have to appeal their assessments in 2019.
“All Oak Park properties were reassessed in 2017, and most of the values set in 2017 will remain unchanged until Oak Park’s next reassessment in 2020,” ElSaffar said. “Because the 2017 reassessment was such an important part of the tax process, many people believe that assessed values can only be appealed during a reassessment year. But since property values can change from year to year, assessed values can be appealed in any year, including 2019.”
Although ElSaffar expects to see many fewer appeals in 2019 compared to 2017, there are some circumstances where taxpayers may want to appeal this year. One such situation arises when the county assessor sends notices of reassessment for properties that have had significant changes in the last year, such as the construction of a new building or an addition to an existing building. The 2019 appeal period also allows taxpayers to bring attention to changes in the value of their properties over the last year. Finally, taxpayers who missed the deadline for appealing their 2018 assessed values can contest their values for the 2019 tax year.
In most cases, those who are filing 2019 appeals because they missed the deadlines from prior years will not be able to do anything about their assessments from prior years. Indeed, since Cook County tax bills always arrive one year late, property owners should be aware that the money-saving effects of successful 2019 appeals will not appear on tax bills until the summer of calendar year 2020.
Individuals with concerns about their property taxes should contact the Township Assessor’s office at (708) 383-8005 to set up appointments during the appeal period. “The biggest point of contact between most citizens and their government arises through the payment of taxes,” ElSaffar said. “Oak Park residents with concerns about the fairness of this important point of contact should know that the Township is available to help residents redress tax inequities.”
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Release date: March 21, 2019