Sheffield Neighborhood News

November/December 1999

Your real estate tax bill

BY PAULA ARNETT

The second installment of your 1998 real estate tax bill was due by November 1. If your property was occupied as the current or previous owner’s principal place of residence as of January 1, 1998, you re entitled to the Homeowner Exemption that reduces your tax bill by about $400.

If your tax bill did not include the Homeowner Exemption, you can file the “Homeowner Exemption Certificate of Error Application” to receive a refund. The Cook County Assessor’s Office requires a completed application and documentation to support that the property was owner occupied, such as: a driver’s license; voter’s registration card; phone bill; or a notarized affidavit. You may seek a Certificate of Error for the tax years 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Phone inquires can be made to the Homeowner Exemption Department at 312/443-7500.

If you did not receive your tax bill, you can obtain a duplicate copy of your bill by contacting the Cook County Collectors office. You need to provide your Permanent Index Number (PIN), which can be found on prior tax fills or the deed to your property. Call 312/443-5100 or go directly to their office at 118 N. Clark, Room 112. You may be charged $1 for the duplicate bill.

To change your name and/or address on your tax bill, you must complete the “Application for Change of Name or Address.” If you wish to apply in person, you must provide two acceptable forms of identification and complete the “In Person” application. To apply by mail, the completed “Mail-In Application” must be notarized.