State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB2679eng

 
HB2679 Engrossed                               LRB9104128PTpk

 1        AN ACT to amend the Property Tax Code by changing Section
 2    15-172.

 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.  The Property Tax Code is amended by changing
 6    Section 15-172 as follows:

 7        (35 ILCS 200/15-172)
 8        Sec. 15-172. Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze  Homestead
 9    Exemption.
10        (a)  This  Section  may  be  cited as the Senior Citizens
11    Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
12        (b)  As used in this Section:
13        "Applicant"  means  an  individual  who  has   filed   an
14    application under this Section.
15        "Base  amount"  means  the  base  year equalized assessed
16    value of  the  residence  plus  the  first  year's  equalized
17    assessed  value of any added improvements which increased the
18    assessed value of the residence after the base year.
19        "Base year" means the taxable year prior to  the  taxable
20    year  for which the applicant first qualifies and applies for
21    the exemption provided that in the  prior  taxable  year  the
22    property  was  improved  with  a permanent structure that was
23    occupied as a residence by the applicant who was  liable  for
24    paying real property taxes on the property and who was either
25    (i)  an  owner  of  record  of  the  property or had legal or
26    equitable interest in the property as evidenced by a  written
27    instrument  or  (ii)  had  a legal or equitable interest as a
28    lessee in the parcel  of  property  that  was  single  family
29    residence.  If  in  any subsequent taxable year for which the
30    applicant  applies  and  qualifies  for  the  exemption   the
31    equalized  assessed  value  of the residence is less than the
 
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 1    equalized assessed value in the existing base year, then that
 2    subsequent taxable year shall become the base  year  until  a
 3    new  base  year  is  established  under  the  terms  of  this
 4    paragraph.   For  taxable  year  1999  only, the Chief County
 5    Assessment Officer shall review (i)  all  taxable  years  for
 6    which  the  applicant applied and qualified for the exemption
 7    and (ii) the existing base  year.    The  assessment  officer
 8    shall  select  as  the new base year the year with the lowest
 9    equalized assessed value.  The selected  year  shall  be  the
10    base  year  for  taxable year 1999 and thereafter until a new
11    base year is established under the terms of this paragraph.
12        "Chief  County  Assessment  Officer"  means  the   County
13    Assessor  or Supervisor of Assessments of the county in which
14    the property is located.
15        "Equalized assessed value" means the  assessed  value  as
16    equalized by the Illinois Department of Revenue.
17        "Household"  means  the  applicant,  the  spouse  of  the
18    applicant,  and  all  persons  using  the  residence  of  the
19    applicant as their principal place of residence.
20        "Household  income"  means  the  combined  income  of the
21    members of a household for the calendar  year  preceding  the
22    taxable year.
23        "Income" has the same meaning as provided in Section 3.07
24    of  the  Senior  Citizens  and  Disabled Persons Property Tax
25    Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act.
26        "Internal Revenue Code of 1986" means the  United  States
27    Internal  Revenue  Code  of 1986 or any successor law or laws
28    relating to federal income  taxes  in  effect  for  the  year
29    preceding the taxable year.
30        "Life  care  facility  that  qualifies  as a cooperative"
31    means a facility as defined in Section 2  of  the  Life  Care
32    Facilities Act.
33        "Residence"   means  the  principal  dwelling  place  and
34    appurtenant structures used for residential purposes in  this
 
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 1    State  occupied  on  January  1  of  the  taxable  year  by a
 2    household and so much of the surrounding  land,  constituting
 3    the  parcel  upon which the dwelling place is situated, as is
 4    used for residential purposes. If the Chief County Assessment
 5    Officer has established a specific legal  description  for  a
 6    portion  of  property  constituting  the residence, then that
 7    portion of property shall be deemed  the  residence  for  the
 8    purposes of this Section.
 9        "Taxable  year"  means  the calendar year during which ad
10    valorem property taxes payable in the  next  succeeding  year
11    are levied.
12        (c)  Beginning  in  taxable  year 1994, a senior citizens
13    assessment freeze homestead exemption  is  granted  for  real
14    property  that is improved with a permanent structure that is
15    occupied as a residence by an applicant who (i) is  65  years
16    of age or older during the taxable year, (ii) has a household
17    income  of  $35,000  or less, (iii) is liable for paying real
18    property taxes on the property,  and  (iv)  is  an  owner  of
19    record  of  the property or has a legal or equitable interest
20    in the property as evidenced by a  written  instrument.  This
21    homestead  exemption shall also apply to a leasehold interest
22    in a parcel of property improved with a  permanent  structure
23    that  is  a  single  family  residence  that is occupied as a
24    residence by a person who (i) is 65 years  of  age  or  older
25    during  the  taxable  year,  (ii)  has  a household income of
26    $35,000 or less, (iii) has a  legal  or  equitable  ownership
27    interest  in  the  property as lessee, and (iv) is liable for
28    the payment of real property taxes on that property.
29        The amount of  this  exemption  shall  be  the  equalized
30    assessed value of the residence in the taxable year for which
31    application is made minus the base amount.
32        When  the applicant is a surviving spouse of an applicant
33    for a  prior  year  for  the  same  residence  for  which  an
34    exemption  under this Section has been granted, the base year
 
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 1    and base amount for that residence are the same  as  for  the
 2    applicant for the prior year.
 3        Each  year at the time the assessment books are certified
 4    to the County Clerk, the Board of Review or Board of  Appeals
 5    shall  give to the County Clerk a list of the assessed values
 6    of improvements on each parcel qualifying for this  exemption
 7    that  were added after the base year for this parcel and that
 8    increased the assessed value of the property.
 9        In the case of land improved with an  apartment  building
10    owned  and  operated as a cooperative or a building that is a
11    life care facility  that  qualifies  as  a  cooperative,  the
12    maximum  reduction  from  the equalized assessed value of the
13    property is limited to the sum of the  reductions  calculated
14    for  each unit occupied as a residence by a person or persons
15    65 years of age or older with a household income  of  $35,000
16    or  less  who is liable, by contract with the owner or owners
17    of record, for paying real property taxes on the property and
18    who is an owner of record of a legal or equitable interest in
19    the cooperative apartment building, other  than  a  leasehold
20    interest.  In the instance of a cooperative where a homestead
21    exemption  has  been  granted   under   this   Section,   the
22    cooperative  association  or its management firm shall credit
23    the  savings  resulting  from  that  exemption  only  to  the
24    apportioned tax liability of the owner who qualified for  the
25    exemption.   Any  person who willfully refuses to credit that
26    savings to an owner who qualifies for the exemption is guilty
27    of a Class B misdemeanor.
28        When a homestead exemption has been  granted  under  this
29    Section  and  an  applicant  then  becomes  a  resident  of a
30    facility licensed  under  the  Nursing  Home  Care  Act,  the
31    exemption shall be granted in subsequent years so long as the
32    residence  (i)  continues  to  be  occupied  by the qualified
33    applicant's spouse or (ii) if remaining unoccupied, is  still
34    owned by the qualified applicant for the homestead exemption.
 
HB2679 Engrossed            -5-                LRB9104128PTpk
 1        Beginning  January  1,  1997, when an individual dies who
 2    would have qualified for an exemption under this Section, and
 3    the surviving spouse does not independently qualify for  this
 4    exemption  because  of  age, the exemption under this Section
 5    shall be granted to the surviving spouse for the taxable year
 6    preceding and the taxable year of the death,  provided  that,
 7    except   for  age,  the  surviving  spouse  meets  all  other
 8    qualifications for the granting of this exemption  for  those
 9    years.
10        When  married  persons  maintain separate residences, the
11    exemption provided for in this Section may be claimed by only
12    one of such persons and for only one residence.
13        For taxable year 1994 only, in counties having less  than
14    3,000,000  inhabitants,  to  receive  the exemption, a person
15    shall submit an application by February 15, 1995 to the Chief
16    County Assessment Officer of the county in which the property
17    is  located.   In   counties   having   3,000,000   or   more
18    inhabitants, for taxable year 1994 and all subsequent taxable
19    years,  to  receive  the  exemption,  a  person may submit an
20    application to the Chief County  Assessment  Officer  of  the
21    county in which the property is located during such period as
22    may be specified by the Chief County Assessment Officer.  The
23    Chief  County  Assessment Officer in counties of 3,000,000 or
24    more  inhabitants  shall  annually   give   notice   of   the
25    application  period  by  mail or by publication.  In counties
26    having  less  than  3,000,000  inhabitants,  beginning   with
27    taxable year 1995 and thereafter, to receive the exemption, a
28    person  shall submit an application by July 1 of each taxable
29    year to the Chief County Assessment Officer of the county  in
30    which  the  property is located.  A county may, by ordinance,
31    establish a date  for  submission  of  applications  that  is
32    different  than  July  1. The applicant shall submit with the
33    application an affidavit of the applicant's  total  household
34    income,  age,  marital  status  (and  if married the name and
 
HB2679 Engrossed            -6-                LRB9104128PTpk
 1    address of the applicant's spouse, if known),  and  principal
 2    dwelling  place  of  members of the household on January 1 of
 3    the taxable year. The Department shall establish, by rule,  a
 4    method  for  verifying  the  accuracy  of affidavits filed by
 5    applicants under this  Section.  The  applications  shall  be
 6    clearly  marked  as  applications  for  the  Senior  Citizens
 7    Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
 8        Notwithstanding  any  other provision to the contrary, in
 9    counties having  fewer  than  3,000,000  inhabitants,  if  an
10    applicant  fails  to  file  the  application required by this
11    Section in a timely manner and this failure to file is due to
12    a mental or physical condition sufficiently severe so  as  to
13    render the applicant incapable of filing the application in a
14    timely manner, the Chief County Assessment Officer may extend
15    the  filing  deadline  for  a  period  of  30  days after the
16    applicant regains the capability to file the application, but
17    in no case may the  filing  deadline  be  extended  beyond  3
18    months  of the original filing deadline.  In order to receive
19    the extension provided in this paragraph, the applicant shall
20    provide the Chief County Assessment  Officer  with  a  signed
21    statement  from  the applicant's physician stating the nature
22    and  extent  of  the  condition,  that,  in  the  physician's
23    opinion, the condition was so severe  that  it  rendered  the
24    applicant  incapable  of  filing  the application in a timely
25    manner, and the date on  which  the  applicant  regained  the
26    capability to file the application.
27        Beginning  January  1,  1998,  notwithstanding  any other
28    provision to the contrary,  in  counties  having  fewer  than
29    3,000,000  inhabitants,  if  an  applicant  fails to file the
30    application required by this Section in a timely  manner  and
31    this failure to file is due to a mental or physical condition
32    sufficiently  severe  so as to render the applicant incapable
33    of filing the application  in  a  timely  manner,  the  Chief
34    County  Assessment Officer may extend the filing deadline for
 
HB2679 Engrossed            -7-                LRB9104128PTpk
 1    a period of 3 months.  In  order  to  receive  the  extension
 2    provided  in  this paragraph, the applicant shall provide the
 3    Chief County Assessment Officer with a signed statement  from
 4    the  applicant's  physician  stating the nature and extent of
 5    the condition, and that,  in  the  physician's  opinion,  the
 6    condition  was  so  severe  that  it  rendered  the applicant
 7    incapable of filing the application in a timely manner.
 8        In counties having less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, if an
 9    applicant was denied an exemption in taxable  year  1994  and
10    the  denial  occurred  due  to  an  error  on  the part of an
11    assessment official, or his or her agent  or  employee,  then
12    beginning in taxable year 1997 the applicant's base year, for
13    purposes of determining the amount of the exemption, shall be
14    1993 rather than 1994. In addition, in taxable year 1997, the
15    applicant's  exemption  shall also include an amount equal to
16    (i) the amount of any exemption denied to  the  applicant  in
17    taxable  year  1995  as  a  result of using 1994, rather than
18    1993, as the base year, (ii)  the  amount  of  any  exemption
19    denied  to  the applicant in taxable year 1996 as a result of
20    using 1994, rather than 1993, as the base year, and (iii) the
21    amount of the exemption erroneously denied for  taxable  year
22    1994.
23        For  purposes  of  this  Section, a person who will be 65
24    years of  age  during  the  current  taxable  year  shall  be
25    eligible  to  apply  for  the homestead exemption during that
26    taxable  year.   Application  shall  be   made   during   the
27    application  period  in  effect  for the county of his or her
28    residence.
29        The Chief County Assessment  Officer  may  determine  the
30    eligibility  of  a  life  care  facility  that qualifies as a
31    cooperative to receive the benefits provided by this  Section
32    by  use  of  an  affidavit,  application,  visual inspection,
33    questionnaire, or other reasonable method in order to  insure
34    that  the  tax  savings  resulting  from  the  exemption  are
 
HB2679 Engrossed            -8-                LRB9104128PTpk
 1    credited  by  the  management  firm  to  the  apportioned tax
 2    liability of each  qualifying  resident.   The  Chief  County
 3    Assessment  Officer  may  request  reasonable  proof that the
 4    management firm has so credited that exemption.
 5        Except as  provided  in  this  Section,  all  information
 6    received  by  the  chief  county  assessment  officer  or the
 7    Department from applications filed  under  this  Section,  or
 8    from any investigation conducted under the provisions of this
 9    Section,  shall be confidential, except for official purposes
10    or pursuant to official  procedures  for  collection  of  any
11    State  or  local  tax or enforcement of any civil or criminal
12    penalty or sanction imposed by this Act or by any statute  or
13    ordinance  imposing  a  State  or  local  tax. Any person who
14    divulges any  such  information  in  any  manner,  except  in
15    accordance with a proper judicial order, is guilty of a Class
16    A misdemeanor.
17        Nothing  contained  in  this  Section  shall  prevent the
18    Director or chief county assessment officer  from  publishing
19    or  making  available  reasonable  statistics  concerning the
20    operation of the exemption contained in this Section in which
21    the contents of claims are grouped into aggregates in such  a
22    way  that information contained in any individual claim shall
23    not be disclosed.
24        (d)  Each Chief County Assessment Officer shall  annually
25    publish  a  notice  of availability of the exemption provided
26    under this Section.  The notice shall be published  at  least
27    60  days  but no more than 75 days prior to the date on which
28    the  application  must  be  submitted  to  the  Chief  County
29    Assessment Officer of the county in  which  the  property  is
30    located.   The  notice shall appear in a newspaper of general
31    circulation in the county.
32    (Source:  P.A.  89-62,  eff.  1-1-96;  89-426,  eff.  6-1-96;
33    89-557,  eff.  1-1-97;  89-581,  eff.  1-1-97;  89-626,  eff.
34    8-9-96; 90-14, eff. 7-1-97;  90-204,  eff.  7-25-97;  90-523,
 
HB2679 Engrossed            -9-                LRB9104128PTpk
 1    eff.  11-13-97;  90-524,  eff.  1-1-98;  90-531, eff. 1-1-98;
 2    90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)

 3        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 4    becoming law.

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