The Cook County Property Tax Conversation Most Homeowners Never Have

Brandon Coll at Sistar Mortgage sat down with Katherine Amari-O'Dell of Amari and Localo for a conversation that covers territory most mortgage and real estate content never touches. Cook County property tax appeals. Katherine has been doing this for over twenty-five years. Her firm does nothing else. One hundred percent real estate tax appeals inside and outside of Cook County. Before joining Amari and Localo she spent four years at the state's attorney's office. If there is a firm that understands this process at its deepest level it is this one.

How the Firm Charges and Why There Is No Financial Risk to Filing

Amari and Localo works on a contingency fee basis. No money is charged to clients unless they actually achieve a tax savings. The fee is fifteen percent of whatever savings are obtained for however many years the firm is filing.

Because Cook County's thirty-eight townships are reassessed on a rolling three-year schedule the number of years in play matters. Southern townships are being reassessed now which means a successful appeal produces three years of savings. Northern townships were reassessed in 2025 which means filing now captures two years of savings. The city of Chicago will be reassessed in 2027 which means a 2026 filing captures one year of savings.

The practical implication is clear. There is no financial downside to reaching out and exploring an appeal. If Katherine reviews the situation and does not believe there is a viable case she will say so. If a recent purchase price is above the assessor's market value she will advise against filing because disclosing that purchase price can work against the homeowner. The firm only moves forward when there is a genuine basis for a reduction.

Where to File and What the Timeline Looks Like

Cook County property tax appeals can be filed at two stages. The assessor's office opens first. The board of review opens second. Deadlines are township-specific and rolling which means there is no single universal deadline that applies to all Cook County homeowners. Each township has its own window during which appeals can be filed.

Katherine was direct about this. Check the assessor's website and the board of review's website regularly to confirm when your township is open. Call the assessor's office directly. Call your city alderman's office. Call a real estate tax attorney. There are multiple avenues for getting this information but the responsibility to track the deadline falls on the homeowner.

Her general recommendation is to file at both levels whenever possible. The assessor tends to defend his assessments more firmly and the success rate is lower on reassessment years. The board of review is more consistently willing to grant reductions for residential homeowners. Filing at both stages maximizes the opportunity.

How Appeals Are Actually Argued

For standard residential properties there are three approaches that can support a reduction.

Comparable properties from the assessor's internal database that pay lower taxes than the subject property based on similar neighborhood classification, building square footage, and age. The assessor and board of review conduct their own analysis alongside the submitted comparables and render a decision.

Recent purchase price when the purchase occurred within three years and the price is lower than the assessor's market value. This is one of the cleaner arguments available and can be highly effective when the documentation supports it.

An appraisal when comparables are not strong enough to build a compelling case. If a homeowner has an existing appraisal from a refinance that came in below the assessed value that may be usable as evidence. If no appraisal exists and the potential savings justify the cost Katherine may recommend commissioning one from a partnered appraisal company.

Exemptions That Are Being Missed and Free Money Being Left on the Table

Missed exemptions are a consistent problem across Cook County and Katherine identified several that homeowners should review immediately.

The homeowner's exemption applies to any property that is a primary residence as of January first of the tax year. It is the most basic exemption available and it rolls over automatically once applied. If it was missed for prior years a retroactive application can recover partial refunds going back to 2021. That window is closing and 2021 will likely stop being accessible around the end of the year.

The senior exemption applies to homeowners who are sixty-five or older and use the property as their primary residence. It provides a meaningful reduction.

The senior freeze is the most financially significant exemption available to qualifying seniors. Homeowners over sixty-five who have household income below sixty-five thousand dollars and live in the property as their primary residence can apply to freeze their assessed value at the prior year's level. Every year of appreciation after the freeze is locked in produces additional savings relative to what the homeowner would have paid without it. The senior freeze must be renewed annually in the spring. Missing a year means losing it.

Additional exemptions exist for veterans, disabled persons, and long-term occupancy for homeowners who have lived in the property for over ten years and meet specific assessed value parameters. The assessor's office typically notifies qualifying homeowners about the long-term occupancy exemption.

To check for missing exemptions visit the assessor's office, fill out an application, bring a copy of your driver's license as proof of residency, and submit. A corrected tax bill reflecting the exemption may be issued in the current year. Retroactive applications can recover up to five years of missed savings with 2021 representing the current cutoff that is closing soon.

What to Do Right Now

If you own property in Cook County and have not checked your exemptions recently do it now before the 2021 window closes. If you have not looked at whether your assessed value is defensible relative to comparable properties in your neighborhood that conversation with a real estate tax attorney costs nothing to explore under a contingency arrangement.

Reach Katherine Amari-O'Dell at Amari and Localo at 224-278-7937 for any questions about Cook County property tax appeals or exemption applications.

Brandon Coll at Sistar Mortgage works with homeowners and buyers across the Chicago area. Reach out to Brandon for mortgage questions including strategies for managing housing costs as part of a broader financial picture.

Sources

CookCountyAssessor.com
CookCountyBoardofReview.com
IllinoisRevenueGov
ConsumerFinancialProtectionBureau.gov
Investopedia.com