Property Tax assessment: neighborhood map

[Hogzilla]

You Northsiders must be movin on up, cuz down South, we are loosing value. For the sake of taxes, I won't complain, but... 

[Guy_on_Clinton]

So, dumb question here...  I guess I should keep my mouth shut?   

Someone prob already reporteded you..... 

[Bonster]

Basements aren't normally considered as floors, and your attic was finished illegally.  Yeah, keep yo mouf shut. 






(mine went up tree gran or so)

[tgoddess]

Mine doesn't begin to reflect the reality of my house and never has.  Our attic is finished and was when I bought the place.  Our basement is also finished (with a bath) as well (also that way when I purchased it).  My assesement states that we have a 3 bedroom, one level place. 

So, dumb question here...  I guess I should keep my mouth shut?   

With the numbers I'm seeing...I would!

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

You Northsiders must be movin on up, cuz down South, we are loosing value. For the sake of taxes, I won't complain, but... 

I live in the Depot District.  Along with my 29,047 proposed new assessment on the main parcel I also have a $3,812 proposed assessment on the adjacent parcel.  If this goes through I'm going to have to start a pitbull breeding business to pay my taxes.

[renovatorbear]

Basements aren't normally considered as floors, and your attic was finished illegally. 

If that's the case, than shouldn't it have been an issue when we bought the house?  It was marketed as a 5 bedroom place...  But the guy I bought it from was a realtor in Berwyn for many years. 

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Basements aren't normally considered as floors, and your attic was finished illegally. 

If that's the case, than shouldn't it have been an issue when we bought the house?  It was marketed as a 5 bedroom place...  But the guy I bought it from was a realtor in Berwyn for many years. 

According to the assessor website basements are excluded from building square footage, except if there is an apartment.

[tgoddess]

Regardless if the basement is finished or unfinished, though?

[Bonster]

I don't know the details on how that works (Tony?).

I know they do count bedrooms and bathrooms, but when considering square footage they don't usually include them as floorspace.

[OakParkSpartan]

Basements aren't normally considered as floors, and your attic was finished illegally.

If that's the case, than shouldn't it have been an issue when we bought the house?  It was marketed as a 5 bedroom place...  But the guy I bought it from was a realtor in Berwyn for many years. 

The good old days...where rules apply or don't apply depending upon who you know.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Regardless if the basement is finished or unfinished, though?

Right - doesn't matter.  So expand down-not up!

[tgoddess]

Interesting.  Because the appeals form makes it sound like it's an issue...

Foundation or Basement   (select one)        

Reset  to original ( Partial and Rec Room )
1.    Full Basement - Extends under 3/4 or more of the ground floor area.
2.    Slab - No basement; foundation is made of a solid slab of concrete on the ground.x
3.    Partial Basement - Extends under ¼ to ¾ of the ground floor area.
4.    Crawl Space - No basement; space under the ground floor is less than 4 feet high.
 
Basement Finish (select one)

1.    Finished - Basement used as recreation room, study, bedroom or similar living area.
2.    Apartment - Basement has separate utility meter and exterior door.
3.    Unfinished - Basement not finished as recreation room, study, bedroom or similar living area.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Even if the basement is finished they don't count the square footage unless it's an apartment so you would think it wouldn't raise your assessment.  But we're dealing with the government here so who knows.

On that line of thinking I was able to remove my attic from my description.  I have a two story with an attic that is tall enough to stand in above the 2nd floor but there are no permanent stairs to it.  To reach it you have to put a ladder in one of the bedroom closets - the celing has a square hatch in it.  I wish I could make some other part of the house disappear like that on my description.

[tgoddess]

Even if the basement is finished they don't count the square footage unless it's an apartment so you would think it wouldn't raise your assessment.  But we're dealing with the government here so who knows.

On that line of thinking I was able to remove my attic from my description.  I have a two story with an attic that is tall enough to stand in above the 2nd floor but there are no permanent stairs to it.  To reach it you have to put a ladder in one of the bedroom closets - the celing has a square hatch in it.  I wish I could make some other part of the house disappear like that on my description.

My attic is only accessible through a small hatch inside the closet that's on the second floor that you can only get through if you're 4 years old or a dwarf.

(Is a "floor" the same as a "story"?  Who knows.  They give absolutely NO guidelines on ANY of this sh*t on their site.)  The thought of having to call (or worse go down to) the assessor's office to get this figured out feels me with unholy dread.

[Bonster]

Even if the basement is finished they don't count the square footage unless it's an apartment so you would think it wouldn't raise your assessment.  But we're dealing with the government here so who knows.

On that line of thinking I was able to remove my attic from my description.  I have a two story with an attic that is tall enough to stand in above the 2nd floor but there are no permanent stairs to it.  To reach it you have to put a ladder in one of the bedroom closets - the celing has a square hatch in it.  I wish I could make some other part of the house disappear like that on my description.

My attic is only accessible through a small hatch inside the closet that's on the second floor that you can only get through if you're 4 years old or a dwarf.

(Is a "floor" the same as a "story"?  Who knows.  They give absolutely NO guidelines on ANY of this sh*t on their site.)  The thought of having to call (or worse go down to) the assessor's office to get this figured out feels me with unholy dread.

t- I was directed to someone's office on 26th and East (2nd flr), they took care of it painlessly back in '05.  Saved me a bunch of dough.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

I also know that they have a taxpayer advocate division that you can call.  After dealing with this crap every reassessment the only thing I know is that there is sometimes no rhyme or reason to any of this s**t and the only way to get it reduced is with a lawyer.  Of course, a lawyer who's worked down there at some point is obviously your best bet.  Go figure.

[tgoddess]

Well, it sure has been nice livin' here, folks.

[Boris]

It appears that the CC Assessors web site is working properly now...I just filed my appeal.

[Boris]

Well, it sure has been nice livin' here, folks.

...don't give up that easy!!

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Keep in mind that the 7% tax cap if you have the homeowner's exemption will limit the amount your taxes will rise no matter how much the assessment has gone up.  I would still go for a reduction in the assessment to be on the safe side.  The legislature may not be able to keep that in place forever.