Vernon Township 2011 Assessment Notices

When you have questions about your assessment the best place to begin is to contact the Vernon Township Assessor. Many times the reason for the assessment can be made clear and the need for filing an appeal eliminated.

If you aren't sure if you are over assessed and need help, the Lake County Chief Assessment Officer holds a series of help sessions. In addition, the LCC Assessment Office has a lot of information on the web site. I have included some of the important points below.

Make sure you have all the exemptions for which you qualify.

Do they have the correct information regarding property, i.e (square footage, number of bathrooms, lot size, fire place, finished basement)

Are there comparable sales that make you feel you are incorrectly assessed?

Have you recently purchased your home and your assessment valuation reflects a market value higher than your purchase price?

Make sure you are familiar with the Board of Appeals Rules. This year they have developed a check list to assist you in determining if you meet the minimum requirements for an appeal.

Please help me get this information out by forwarding the information to your neighbors and friends.

Reasons for an Appeal

You have a reason to appeal if you can support any of the following claims:

The assessment is based on a factual error (e.g. incorrect square footage).*
The assessment is greater than 1/3 of the property's recent sale price.
The assessment is greater than 1/3 of the property's market value.
The assessment is higher than the assessment of comparable properties.
Matters of law (e.g. carrying forward prior year residential appeal results, preferential assessment and farmland valuation).

Appeal Forms

*In this event, a Certificate of Error may be issued by the township assessor's office with the concurrence of the Board of Review, even after the tax bill is received.

Evidence You Need

To support your claim of an unfair assessment you will need substantial evidence, some of which may be obtained from your township assessor, the Chief County Assessment Office, from a professional appraiser hired at your own expense or through your own research. Pertinent evidence for non-farm property should include some or all of the following:

A copy of the Real Estate Transfer Declaration, a deed or a contract for purchase.
An appraisal of your property.
A list of recent sales of comparable properties (photographs and property record cards should be presented, as well as some evidence of the sale price).
A photograph of elements detracting from the value of your property not shown on the property record card and an estimate, in terms of dollars, of their negative effect on the market value.
If your appeal is on uniformity of assessments; information on the comparable properties.
A copy of your property record card.
Recent sales, comparable properites and an overview of your property can be found at the Chief County Assessor's Office or call (847) 377-2100 for more information.

Taxpayers may file an appeal of their assessed valuation with the Lake County Board of Review no later than 30 consecutive days from the actual publication date for your township. All appeals must be on the prescribed forms. Late filings cannot be accepted.

Changes to the Appeals Process

Because of the increase in the number of assessment appeals, the Chief County Assessor's Office has made changes to the appeals process. To expedite the appeals and produce faster results for taxpayers, the Board of Review (BOR) will issue a preliminary decision and attempt to settle the case without going to a formal hearing. The BOR evaluates evidence submitted from the taxpayer (or their representative), and the township assessors. In those cases where the evidence supports a clear determination, the BOR member can make a preliminary decision and present it to the taxpayer who can choose to accept it, or decide to pursue a formal hearing.

Chief County Assessment Officer Marty Paulson recommended the change to the Board of Review after seeing the success of a similar program in Winnebago County, Illinois.

In addition to providing a convenience to taxpayers, the new process reduces the number of in-person hearings, allowing the BOR to more efficiently manage the increased number of appeals, and conduct hearings within a timely manner. This change will benefit township assessors as well, allowing them to use their staff time more effectively in preparing the evidence for cases. Furthermore, it is critical that the Board of Review process is not delayed so that final assessments are reported to the treasurer in time to distribute tax bills.

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