Alameda county property tax
Alameda county property tax
Cook leaders want property tax exemption crackdown law
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Assessor Joe Berrios on Tuesday urged state lawmakers to offer them more capacity to go after property owners who improperly claim tax breaks, saying they could recover greater than $150 million in 36 months 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 book properties, vacation homes and secondary residences. Other home owners get inappropriate property tax reduced prices for being a senior citizen, disabled person or disabled veteran.
Individuals who claimed multiple improper homestead exemptions wouldn't be fined a share of their unpaid taxes, and the county could place liens around the properties to try to compel homeowners to pay up.
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An identical measure stalled in Springfield a year ago, which Berrios blamed on pressure from realtors and landlords who oppose the program. The assessor also said the last version of the bill got weighed down by unrelated proposals that got attached to it during the legislative process.
“This bill is a stand-alone,” Berrios said at a news conference, explaining why he's optimistic the newest version will pass.
Based on the number of exemption cheats he said he has found up to now, Berrios estimated $154 million would 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. And so 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 have to bear the financial burden when their neighbors wrongfully take property tax exemptions, so this legislation is about leveling the playing field,” Preckwinkle said.
The latest version with the measure has passed the home, and Berrios said he's working with Senate President John Cullerton to construct support.
Assessor spokeswoman Kelly Quinn said Berrios is working with lawmakers introducing a plan to let seniors apply for their property tax exemption every 36 months instead of requiring them to do so each year.
Seniors accustomed to automatically get the exemption, nevertheless the General Assembly changed regulations in 2010 to require them to reapply each year. A strategy Berrios endorsed to make the senior exemption automatic once more stalled in the House a year ago, in part because House Speaker Michael Madigan failed to support it.
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 more than $150 million in 36 months with the new authority.
Under legislation pending in Springfield, counties could go after back taxes from people 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 property owners get inappropriate property tax reductions in price for being a senior citizen, disabled person or disabled veteran.
Individuals who claimed multiple improper homestead exemptions also would be fined a percentage of their unpaid taxes, and the county could place liens on the properties to try to compel homeowners to pay up.
The same measure stalled in Springfield last year, which Berrios blamed on pressure from real estate agents 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 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.
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 stuff like that during the first 3 years the plan was in effect.
Last October, the Tribune found numerous examples 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 else - from regulations they are not entitled to receive, the newspaper disclosed.
Preckwinkle described it as a matter of fairness. “Residents must bear the financial burden when their neighbors.
Alameda county property tax
Cook leaders want property tax exemption crackdown law
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Assessor Joe Berrios on Tuesday urged state lawmakers to offer them more capacity to go after property owners who improperly claim tax breaks, saying they could recover greater than $150 million in 36 months 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 book properties, vacation homes and secondary residences. Other home owners get inappropriate property tax reduced prices for being a senior citizen, disabled person or disabled veteran.
Individuals who claimed multiple improper homestead exemptions wouldn't be fined a share of their unpaid taxes, and the county could place liens around the properties to try to compel homeowners to pay up.
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Advertise on the search engines
You'll Be Found By More Customers. Begin with Google AdWords Today.
www.Google.com/AdWords
An identical measure stalled in Springfield a year ago, which Berrios blamed on pressure from realtors and landlords who oppose the program. The assessor also said the last version of the bill got weighed down by unrelated proposals that got attached to it during the legislative process.
“This bill is a stand-alone,” Berrios said at a news conference, explaining why he's optimistic the newest version will pass.
Based on the number of exemption cheats he said he has found up to now, Berrios estimated $154 million would 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. And so 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 have to bear the financial burden when their neighbors wrongfully take property tax exemptions, so this legislation is about leveling the playing field,” Preckwinkle said.
The latest version with the measure has passed the home, and Berrios said he's working with Senate President John Cullerton to construct support.
Assessor spokeswoman Kelly Quinn said Berrios is working with lawmakers introducing a plan to let seniors apply for their property tax exemption every 36 months instead of requiring them to do so each year.
Seniors accustomed to automatically get the exemption, nevertheless the General Assembly changed regulations in 2010 to require them to reapply each year. A strategy Berrios endorsed to make the senior exemption automatic once more stalled in the House a year ago, in part because House Speaker Michael Madigan failed to support it.
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 more than $150 million in 36 months with the new authority.
Under legislation pending in Springfield, counties could go after back taxes from people 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 property owners get inappropriate property tax reductions in price for being a senior citizen, disabled person or disabled veteran.
Individuals who claimed multiple improper homestead exemptions also would be fined a percentage of their unpaid taxes, and the county could place liens on the properties to try to compel homeowners to pay up.
The same measure stalled in Springfield last year, which Berrios blamed on pressure from real estate agents 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 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.
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 stuff like that during the first 3 years the plan was in effect.
Last October, the Tribune found numerous examples 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 else - from regulations they are not entitled to receive, the newspaper disclosed.
Preckwinkle described it as a matter of fairness. “Residents must bear the financial burden when their neighbors.
Alameda county property tax