Anyone get their "2nd installment" recently ??? My second istallment was THREE TIMES what the first installment was! HOLY $H!T ! I need some serious lube... did not see this one coming...
Yeah, mine came today. So much for property devaluation. Taxes up 15% form last year. Second installment revaluation up considerably from 1st.
Would you quit your crying..... Living in Winnetka does have some disadvantages..... At least you get to enjoy the city... I'm stuck out here in the western burbs living with nothin but snooty soccer moms and lawn keeping nazis... heaven forbid I have a weed or theres stray branches from my trees....... You still going to RF......... Tony..........
+1, we aren't viewed as filthy rich,......yet. Cook County is just deeper in the doodoo. We may not be too far behind, give it time.
Opened my bill yesterday. I'm damn well sick of it. Almost to the point of selling, even in this market. Oh yeah, those of you with kids in public school; Say thank you.
Thank You Ross.............. Ya Know, this thread could turn ugly.... I too am sick of funding the sick, lame and lazy.... Tony............
Check out the Suntimes today. Obama's taxes up 1% Daley's up 3.5% Stroger's up 3.2% Only the average Joes get screwed. Most people saw their taxes go up about 9.6%. My only question is, when can we start the revolution?
I HOPE they will CHANGE, and no longer be sick (free healthcare), lame (free health care), and lazy (are they getting "stimulated to not be lazy?) SIGN.... ME .... UP! I have no problem paying my "fair share". Problem is, where is the line. Atlas is shrugging... PS Tony, no Rock for my for > 1 glorioius years. they saw 263 pts the other day
If you took the time to find comps and submitted the paper work and still had a giant increase, you truely do have my sympathy because you are getting a raw deal. I'm not a fan of higher property taxes; however, most people that complain about their property taxes rarely file an appeal. Had I not appealed, my increase would have been more than 18%. No need for a revolution just fill out the paper work.
we have appealed in past for other house, worked out fine. we have been in current house for a bit over 2 years. "last years" taxes (2007) - First bill we saw, was substantially lower than 2008's. so, what, appeal every year?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoKn7vkSMBc Bet your bottom dollar you'll lose the blues in Chicago, Chicago Image Unavailable, Please Login
That covers your tri-annual reassessment. Are you also filing for the homeowners exemption? I believe you have to file for it every year if you have not lived in the house more than four years(?). I know that the last time I received a letter about the homeowners exemption was in 2005 (five years after I purchased my current home). The letter (dated March 2005) stated, "In the past, we have sent you a Taxpayer Exemption Booklet. You will not receive a booklet this year because our records indicate that you qualify for the Homeowner Exemption. Since you qualified for the exemption last year and according to County records, Your property was not sold in 2004, you do not need to file an application this year." I always filed this form in addition to the appeal every three years. My current bill still reflects the Homeowners Exemption. I know that in the mid 1990's when I bought a two flat in Wicker Park, my taxes double because I hadn't lived their long enough to qualify for the homeowners exemption. Second, Did your County Taxes go up or did your MUNICIPAL TAXES go up? Last time I checked, County Taxes are capped at 10% if you have lived in the property more than five(?) years. My County taxes went up by 9.6% however my Municipal taxes went up by 23.8%. I'm not a tax pro so please don't take my experiences as competent tax advice. Most of the tips that I have picked up over the years come from Gene Schulter and Forest Claypool who send residents of my ward a ton of information. I just file for every exemption I can and feel that my taxes are "fair." Good luck.
Just got my bill and it went up by 50%. I would have easily swallowed this, if we had received the Olympics in return. As it stands, I just pay more but don't get anything worthwhile in return for the increase.
How is paying $22,000+/- in property taxes shirking ones responsibilities? For those of you who thought the President was getting some great deal by only paying 1% more this year, take the time to actually read the article and look at the numbers. How many of you have spent any real time in Hyde Park? While the Kenwood district is nice, how is $22K (for what is in essence a beautiful house on a quadruple lot three blocks from the heart of the Titanic Stones) a bargain? Also, just because our home values have gone down why do some of you think the cost of services has gone down? Using home values is an especially faulty funding model when it comes to education. The City Magnet schools have traditionally seen a significant increase in the number of students applying/attending during times of economic hardship yet there isn't a corresponding increase in funding. The same can be said about Park District services and so on. I'm not trying to rub salt in people's wounds; however, it is too easy to blame the President instead of looking at the root of the problem. The President didn't raise your municipal taxes. Why isn't anyone blaming the key politician who has often blocked the homeowners exemption and 7% cap? How many of you looked at how much he pays? More importantly, how much does his law firm make on tax appeals?
Got my tax bill yesterday as well. So much for the Gov cutting the budget, mine is up about 90%! And I'm an unemployed miscreant since 1981. No mercy is shown, as we need to support the politicians, and other governmental employees salaries and retirement funds over the years. Unearned retirement pensions by municipal and state employees is our bane. If you're a government employee, I salute you! Your gain is our loss; continue to use 5 people to do the job that one person can do in the 'real' world'! The elite are the politicians, the rest of us are just considered 'Serfs!!!!'
Sparky, save the propaganda for Newsmax. If you actually live in Chicago proper the only way your taxes could have gone up 90% is if you purchased a brand new construction home that is taxed at 10% of the sale price. I usually don't match wits with unarmed people but in your case I'll make an exception. There are numerous cases of corruption in the city but most of the rank and file workers earn their pensions. I'd love to see you make twenty years on midnights at Wentworth. Could you make thirty four years at Fenger? Some of those groups receive those pensions in lieu of social security which means they also pay their healthcare in retirement and do not qualify for Medicare. The Chicago Board of Education has received $1.4 Billion dollars from the state for pension contributions since 1995 but has not put one cent of it into the teachers pension(CORETeachers.com). The Chicago Teachers Pension has been paid for almost entirely from member contributions for the past ten years. How is this "unearned?" To make matters worse Ron wants to raid the teachers pension fund. The same can be said for the Department of Water Rec, Fire, and Police. The Police have worked without a contract for well over a year and are down more positions than they care to admit. Yet all of these departments are doing (if not a great job) far better than what you label, "five people doing the work of one." Did you read the Trib on Friday? Look at how many of the top schools in the state are CPS. Murders per thousand are down in Chicago. Violent crimes per thousand are down in Chicago. The only crime rate that has seen an increase more than one standard deviation is break ins. If you'd like I can continue but somehow I know you are far too old for me to teach you anything Sparky.
Aha, a nice retort from one who is obviously an employee, or retired from the political employ of the state of Illinois, or one of its counties or villages. No, I don't live in Chicago proper, thank God, but I'm still raped by Cook County and the State. Fess up, you are a government employee or once was......TRUE?? P.S. My sister was a teacher in Cook County, and is doing quite well with her retirement pension.
Fess up to what? I have always been very forthright about my profession. I am a high school english teacher. Once again Sparky, stick to the facts and avoid the fallacies in your arguements. The topic at hand is taxation in Cook County. You feel the pensions are the reason for the higher taxes and the facts (specifically the CTP) don't support your claims. You are comparing apples to oranges. Your MUNICIPAL property taxes may have gone up 90% but your COUNTY taxes could not have.
Would you please stop with this lame excuse for the tax increase in Crook County?What a bunch of crap! No one is denying that even with the properties loss of value the County/Municipal expenses are still the same (actually higher with all the wasteful spending) what irks me the most though is the nice card we get in the mail saying that our properties INCREASED in value. You want to raise the taxes then be honest about it and say it,instead of hiding behind supposed higher real estate values. At least Lake County was more honest and lowered their estimate. There is a valid reason for your beloved county to be nicknamed "Crook".
My original post was asking if a homeowner had filed for all possible exemptions. I was not then, and am not now, making any excuses for the higher tax bill. I responded to Darolls post because I find it annoying when people choose not to look at the facts and blame others. It should not be viewed as an excuse for government waste. BTW did anyone read the Trib article this morning? One of the key complaints it raises is the way taxes are assessed. It points out that the current "system" has too many variables to devise a hard and fast rule.
