How Homeowners and Businesses in River Forest Can Reduce Values and Taxes

With the one-two combo of high values across Cook County and the demand for real estate, River Forest always faces some of the stiffest taxes in the area. Out-of-control taxes are threats to both people wishing to stay in their homes and those who are looking to buy in the area. With little help coming from the city or state government, the people of Cook County have to be willing to take matters into their own hands. Thankfully, both homeowners and businesses have options to help protect themselves against rising costs.

Property Tax Appeals Protect Property and Taxpayers

A decade ago, property tax appeals were generally used by businesses and the wealthy. However, following the 2023 reassessment, people from all walks of life began to use this option to question the values assessed by the CCAO. When backed by evidence, a solid appeal can lower the assessed value of a home or business. Appeals can fix basic errors, such as the wrong square footage or classification, and are perfect for fixing blatant errors. They can also challenge property values based on lack of uniformity or based on overassessment. Lack of uniformity is when your property is assessed more than neighboring properties with the same or similar characteristics. Overassessment is when the market value of your property does not match what it would sell for on the open market.

While some issues can be solved easily, it can be difficult to prove errors in value. To prove lack of uniformity, assessments from the area must be gathered, documented, and often photographed. For overassessment, sales of properties dating back three years must be collected. For each type, these comparisons must be close to each other in several ways, including location, size, and classification. Taxpayers do have more time to gather evidence than the rest of Illinois, because they have two appeal deadlines, rather than one. The first deadline is for appeals with the assessor, which is 30 business days after the notice of assessment is sent. The second is with the Board of Review (BOR), which is usually months later.

O’Connor Provides Support with Evidence and Analytics

The cornerstone of any appeal is evidence, as it separates victories from defeats. While simple errors can be taken care of by the average person, putting together evidence to lower property values often takes a professional touch. Since gathering comparisons for unequal assessment or overassessment can be time-consuming, getting expert help can save both time and money. That is where we at O’Connor come in. With over 50 years of experience in the property tax game, we know the evidence needed to impress both the CCAO and the BOR.

We use data-driven techniques to gather the best evidence and to analyze your assessment for any issues. We also have access to patented databases that can put together the best assessment and sales comparisons possible. Once the data is put together, we will then coordinate an appeal with Kieta Law. With our evidence, you and your attorney should be perfectly set up to gain a reduction with the assessor or BOR. You will never be charged for this evidence up front, and you will only pay a portion of your savings if you and your attorney can lower your taxes.