Cook County Property Tax Appeals Attorney

Chicago Area Lawyer for Property Tax Disputes

No one enjoys dealing with property taxes. Issues related to taxes can be confusing, and the amount you owe can vary wildly from year to year after you buy a home or commercial property. Sometimes, the amount of property taxes you are told that you owe seems excessive. In these situations, you do not have to just grin and bear it. You have the right to file a property tax appeal that could result in a lower assessment. Many Cook County property owners are afraid to file an appeal for a number of reasons.

Whitacre & Stefanczuk LTD is well-versed in property tax law, and we can help you pursue an appeal when your assessment is unmanageable. Often, an initial property tax assessment results in an errant overcharging. We do not want to see that happen to you or anyone else in our area. Our goal is to save you money on your property taxes. The process of appealing a property tax assessment might not be nearly as difficult as you may think, especially with us handling it.

Cook County Property Tax Appeals for Homeowners

Homeowners should not be required to be real estate tax experts just to avoid paying more than their fair share of property taxes. These taxes should not overwhelm your family, and they should not make being a landlord too financially difficult. If you cannot pay your tax bill, or if the amount of your property taxes seems excessive, it is worth a phone call to a lawyer to find out whether you could file an appeal. We will collect evidence such as the cost of similar homes in your neighborhood and investigate whether your property value is accurate.

More appeals are successful than you might think. We will negotiate on your behalf and develop individualized arguments based on the facts at hand to lower your tax burden as much as possible. In many cases, we are able to reach a compromise that brings you relief from out-of-control property taxes.

Tax Appeals for Commercial Property Owners in the Chicago Area

The stakes can be high when you are facing skyrocketing property taxes for your commercial real estate holdings. Often, the local tax assessor has inaccurate information regarding the description or use of your property. It is quite common for an attorney to spot an error that has been costing you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

Our attorneys have a number of tools we use to fight back against excessive tax burdens for commercial property owners. We may call in an independent appraiser, or we may investigate issues affecting the value of your property in order to prove that your property tax assessment is unreasonable. A successful appeal and tax reduction can make or break a business and protect your investment.

There may also be tax incentives for commercial property owners who are developing or rehabilitating their properties, as doing so is a service to the community. Tapping into these incentives may further reduce your tax burden.

The Appeals Process in Cook County

Our first attempt at lowering your property tax burden is likely to be an informal appeal. We are often able to informally negotiate a tax reduction, especially if our investigation has turned up evidence that the assessor had inaccurate information or miscalculated the value of the property. If we succeed here, you may be surprised at how simple it was to save money on your property taxes.

Of course, Whitacre & Stefanczuk LTD is prepared to file a formal appeal with the Board of Review on your behalf and fight to lower your tax burden through official channels. We will enter this process already holding all the evidence we need to make strong arguments in your favor.

While challenging your property tax bill may seem like an intimidating process, with our lawyers representing you, there is little risk involved - but there could be wonderful rewards.

Contact a Cook County Property Tax Appeals Attorney

Whitacre & Stefanczuk LTD is skilled in helping Cook County property owners reduce their tax bills through the appeals process. Our goal is to make sure that you are paying no more than your fair share, and never an excessive or unmanageable amount. Contact us online or call us at 773-622-6100 to start with a free consultation. We serve clients throughout Cook County in Chicago, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Rolling Meadows, and Palatine.