State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 002 ]

91_SB0035

 
                                               LRB9101536PTpk

 1        AN ACT  to  amend  the  Property  Tax  Code  by  changing
 2    Sections 5-5, 12-50, 14-15, 16-95, 16-125, and 16-160.

 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    Sections  5-5,  12-50,  14-15,  16-95,  16-125, and 16-160 as
 7    follows:

 8        (35 ILCS 200/5-5)
 9        Sec. 5-5.  Election  of  board  of  review;  counties  of
10    3,000,000 or more.
11        (a)  In  counties  with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, on
12    the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 1994,  2
13    commissioners  of  the  board of appeals  shall be elected to
14    hold office from the first Monday in December following their
15    election and until the first Monday in December 1998. In case
16    of any vacancy, the chief judge of the circuit court  or  any
17    judge  of  that  circuit  designated by the chief judge shall
18    fill the vacancy by appointment. The commissioners  shall  be
19    electors  in  the  particular  county  at  the  time of their
20    election or appointment and shall  hold  no  other  lucrative
21    public  office  or public employment. Each commissioner shall
22    receive compensation fixed by the county board,  which  shall
23    be  paid  out  of  the county treasury and which shall not be
24    changed during the term for which any commissioner is elected
25    or appointed. Effective the first Monday  in  December  1998,
26    the board of appeals is abolished.
27        The   board   of   appeals   shall   maintain  sufficient
28    evidentiary records to support  all  decisions  made  by  the
29    board  of  appeals.   All records, data, sales/ratio studies,
30    and other information  necessary  for  the  board  of  review
31    elected  under  subsection  (c)  to perform its functions and
 
                            -2-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1    duties shall be transferred by the board of  appeals  to  the
 2    board of review on the first Monday in December 1998.
 3        (b) (Blank).
 4        (c)  In  each  county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,
 5    there is created a board of review. The board of review shall
 6    consist of 3 members, one elected from each election district
 7    in the county at the general election in 1998 to hold  office
 8    for  a  term  beginning  on  the  first  Monday  in  December
 9    following   their   election   and   until  their  respective
10    successors are elected and qualified.
11        No later than June 1, 1996, the  General  Assembly  shall
12    establish the boundaries for the 3 election districts in each
13    county  with  3,000,000  or  more  inhabitants.  The election
14    districts   shall   be   compact,   contiguous,   and    have
15    substantially  the  same population based on the 1990 federal
16    decennial census. One district shall  be  designated  as  the
17    first election district, one as the second election district,
18    and  one as the third election district. The member from each
19    district shall be elected to a term of 4 years.
20        In the year following each federal decennial census,  the
21    General  Assembly shall reapportion the election districts to
22    reflect  the  results  of  the  census.   The   reapportioned
23    districts   shall   be   compact,   contiguous,  and  contain
24    substantially the same population. The member from the  first
25    district shall be elected to terms of 4 years, 4 years, and 2
26    years.  The  member from the second district shall be elected
27    to terms of 4 years, 2 years, and 4 years.  The  member  from
28    the  third  district  shall be elected to terms of 2 years, 4
29    years, and 4 years.
30        In case of vacancy, the chief judge of the circuit  court
31    or  any  judge  of  the circuit court designated by the chief
32    judge shall fill the vacancy by appointment of a person  from
33    the  same political party. If the vacancy is filled with more
34    than 28 months remaining in the term,  the  appointed  member
 
                            -3-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1    shall  serve until the next general election, at which time a
 2    member shall be elected to serve for  the  remainder  of  the
 3    term. If a vacancy is filled with 28 months or less remaining
 4    in  the  term,  the appointment shall be for the remainder of
 5    the  term.  The  members  shall  be  electors  within   their
 6    respective election district at the time of their election or
 7    appointment  and  shall hold no other lucrative public office
 8    or public employment.
 9        Each member  shall  receive  compensation  fixed  by  the
10    county  board,  which shall be paid from the county treasury.
11    Compensation for each member shall be equitable and shall not
12    be changed during the term for which that member  is  elected
13    or  appointed. The county shall provide suitable office space
14    for the board of review.
15        For the year beginning on the first  Monday  in  December
16    1998  and ending the first Monday in December 1999, and every
17    fourth year thereafter, the chair of the board shall  be  the
18    member  elected  from  the  first  district.   For  the  year
19    beginning  the  first  Monday in December 1999 and ending the
20    first  Monday  in  December  2000,  and  every  fourth   year
21    thereafter,  the  chair  of  the  board  shall  be the member
22    elected from the second district.  For the year beginning the
23    first Monday in December 2000 and ending the first Monday  in
24    December  2001,  and  every fourth year thereafter, the chair
25    shall be the member elected from the third district.  For the
26    year beginning the first Monday in December 2001  and  ending
27    the  first  Monday  in  December  2002, and every fourth year
28    thereafter, the chair of the board  shall  be  determined  by
29    lot.
30        On  and  after  the  first  Monday in December, 1998, any
31    reference in this Code to a board of appeals shall  mean  the
32    board  of  review created under this subsection. The board of
33    review succeeds to the powers and  duties  of  the  board  of
34    appeals  and  has  any  powers and duties granted to it under
 
                            -4-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1    this Code. All action of the board of review shall  be  by  a
 2    majority vote of its members.
 3    (Source:  P.A.  88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95; 89-671, eff.
 4    8-14-96.)

 5        (35 ILCS 200/12-50)
 6        Sec. 12-50.  Mailed notice to taxpayer  after  change  by
 7    board  of  review  or  board  of  appeals.  If final board of
 8    review or board of appeals  action  regarding  any  property,
 9    including  equalization under Section 16-60 or Section 16-65,
10    results in an increased or decreased  assessment,  the  board
11    shall mail a notice to the taxpayer, at his or her address as
12    it  appears  in  the  assessment  records,  whose property is
13    affected by such action, and in the case of a complaint filed
14    with a board of review under Section 16-25 or 16-115, to  the
15    taxing  body  filing the complaint.  A copy shall be given to
16    the assessor or chief county assessment officer if his or her
17    assessment was reversed or modified by  the  board.   Written
18    notice  shall  also  be  given  to  any  taxpayer who filed a
19    complaint in writing with the board and whose assessment  was
20    not  changed.  The  notice shall set forth the assessed value
21    prior to board action; the assessed value after  final  board
22    action  but prior to any equalization; and the assessed value
23    as equalized by the board, if  the  board  equalizes.    This
24    notice  shall state that the value as certified to the county
25    clerk by the board will be the locally assessed value of  the
26    property  for  that  year  and  each  succeeding year, unless
27    revised in a succeeding year in the manner provided  in  this
28    Code.  The  written  notice shall also set forth specifically
29    the facts upon which  the  board's  decision  is  based.   In
30    counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, the notice and
31      shall also contain the following statement: "You may appeal
32    this decision to the Property Tax Appeal Board  by  filing  a
33    petition for review with the Property Tax Appeal Board within
 
                            -5-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1    30  days after this notice is mailed to you or your agent, or
 2    is personally served upon you or your agent"; except that, in
 3    counties with 3,000,000 or  more  inhabitants  the  statement
 4    shall  be  included in the written notice (i) for residential
 5    property with 6 units or less beginning with assessments made
 6    for the 1996 assessment year and (ii) for all other  property
 7    in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants beginning with
 8    assessments  made  for the 1997 assessment year.  In counties
 9    with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,  the  notice  shall  also
10    contain  the  following  statement:   "You  may  appeal  this
11    decision  to  the  Property  Tax  Appeal  Board  by  filing a
12    petition for review with the Property Tax Appeal Board within
13    30 days after the date of this notice or within 30 days after
14    the date that the Board of Review  transmits  to  the  county
15    assessor  pursuant  to Section 16-125 its final action on the
16    township in which your  property  is  located,  whichever  is
17    later". The Board shall publish its transmittal date of final
18    action  on each township in at least one newspaper of general
19    circulation  in  the  county.    The  changes  made  by  this
20    amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly apply to the 1999
21    assessment year and thereafter.
22    (Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
23    8-14-96.)

24        (35 ILCS 200/14-15)
25        Sec.  14-15.  Certificate of error; counties of 3,000,000
26    or more.
27        (a)  In counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,  if,
28    after the assessment is certified pursuant to Section 16-150,
29    but  subject  to  the  limitations  of subsection (c) of this
30    Section, at any time  before  judgment  is  rendered  in  any
31    proceeding  to  collect  or to enjoin the collection of taxes
32    based upon any assessment of any property  belonging  to  any
33    taxpayer,  the  county assessor discovers an error or mistake
 
                            -6-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1    in the assessment, the assessor shall execute  a  certificate
 2    setting  forth  the  nature  and  cause  of  the  error.  The
 3    certificate when endorsed by the  county  assessor,  or  when
 4    endorsed  by  the county assessor and board of appeals (until
 5    the first Monday in December 1998 and  the  board  of  review
 6    beginning  the  first Monday in December 1998 and thereafter)
 7    where the certificate is executed for  any  assessment  which
 8    was  the subject of a complaint filed in the board of appeals
 9    (until the first Monday in December 1998  and  the  board  of
10    review  beginning  the  first  Monday  in  December  1998 and
11    thereafter) for the tax year for  which  the  certificate  is
12    issued, may, at the discretion of the county assessor, either
13    be  certified  according  to the procedure authorized by this
14    Section or be presented and received in evidence in any court
15    of competent jurisdiction.   When so introduced  in  evidence
16    such  certificate  shall  become a part of the court records,
17    and shall not be removed from the files except upon the order
18    of the court.
19        Certificates of error that will be presented to the court
20    shall be filed A certificate executed under this Section  may
21    be  issued  to the person erroneously assessed. A certificate
22    executed under this Section or a  list  of  the  parcels  for
23    which  certificates  have been issued may be presented by the
24    assessor to the court as an objection in the application  for
25    judgment  and order of sale for the year in relation to which
26    the certificate is made or as an amendment to  the  objection
27    under  subsection  (b).  Certificates of error that are to be
28    certified according  to  the  procedure  authorized  by  this
29    Section need not be presented to the court as an objection or
30    an  amendment  under  subsection (b). The State's Attorney of
31    the county in which the property is  situated  shall  mail  a
32    copy of any final judgment entered by the court regarding any
33      the  certificate of error to the taxpayer of record for the
34    year in question.
 
                            -7-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1        Any unpaid taxes after the entry of the final judgment by
 2    the court or certification on certificates issued under  this
 3    Section  may be included in a special tax sale, provided that
 4    an advertisement is published and a notice is mailed  to  the
 5    person  in whose name the taxes were last assessed, in a form
 6    and manner substantially similar  to  the  advertisement  and
 7    notice  required  under  Sections  21-110  and  21-135.   The
 8    advertisement  and sale shall be subject to all provisions of
 9    law  regulating  the  annual  advertisement   and   sale   of
10    delinquent  property, to the extent that those provisions may
11    be made applicable.
12        A certificate of  error  certified  executed  under  this
13    Section  allowing homestead exemptions under Sections 15-170,
14    15-172, and 15-175 of this Act (formerly Sections 19.23-1 and
15    19.23-1a of the Revenue Act of 1939) not  previously  allowed
16    shall be given effect by the county treasurer, who shall mark
17    the  tax  books  and,  upon  receipt  of one of the following
18    certificates certificate from  the  county  assessor  or  the
19    county  assessor  and  the board of review where the board of
20    review is required to endorse the certificate of error, shall
21    issue refunds to the taxpayer accordingly:

22                           "CERTIFICATION
23        I, .................., county  assessor,  hereby  certify
24        that  the  Certificates  of Error set out on the attached
25        list have been duly issued to correct an error or mistake
26        in the assessment allow homestead exemptions pursuant  to
27        Sections  15-170,  15-172, and 15-175 of the Property Tax
28        Code (formerly  Sections  19.23-1  and  19.23-1a  of  the
29        Revenue  Act  of  1939) which should have been previously
30        allowed; and that a certified copy of the  attached  list
31        and  this  certification have been served upon the county
32        State's Attorney."

33                           "CERTIFICATION
 
                            -8-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1        I,   ..................,   county   assessor,   and   we,
 2        ........................................................,
 3        members of the board of review, hereby certify  that  the
 4        Certificates  of  Error set out on the attached list have
 5        been duly issued to correct an error or  mistake  in  the
 6        assessment and that any certificates of error required to
 7        be   endorsed  by  the  board  of  review  have  been  so
 8        endorsed."

 9        The county treasurer has the power to mark the tax  books
10    to  reflect  the  issuance of homestead certificates of error
11    certified according  to  the  procedure  authorized  in  this
12    Section  for certificates of error issued under Section 14-25
13    or certificates of error issued  to  and  including  3  years
14    after the date on which the annual judgment and order of sale
15    for  that  tax  year was first entered.  The county treasurer
16    has the power to issue refunds to the taxpayer as  set  forth
17    above  until all refunds authorized by this Section have been
18    completed.
19        The county treasurer has no power to issue refunds to the
20    taxpayer as set forth above unless the Certification set  out
21    in  this  Section  has  been  served  upon the county State's
22    Attorney.
23        (b)  Nothing in subsection (a) of this Section  shall  be
24    construed  to  prohibit the execution, endorsement, issuance,
25    and adjudication of a certificate of error if (i) the  annual
26    judgment  and  order  of sale for the tax year in question is
27    reopened for further proceedings upon consent of  the  county
28    collector  and  county  assessor,  represented by the State's
29    Attorney, and (ii)  a  new  final  judgment  is  subsequently
30    entered  pursuant  to  the  certificate.  This subsection (b)
31    shall be construed as declarative of existing law and not  as
32    a new enactment.
33        (c)  No certificate of error, other than a certificate to
34    establish an exemption under Section 14-25, shall be executed
 
                            -9-                LRB9101536PTpk
 1    for  any  tax  year more than 3 years after the date on which
 2    the annual judgment and order of sale for that tax  year  was
 3    first entered.
 4        (d)  The  time  limitation  of  subsection  (c) shall not
 5    apply to a certificate of error correcting an  assessment  to
 6    $1,  under  Section  10-35, on a parcel that a subdivision or
 7    planned development has acquired by  adverse  possession,  if
 8    during the tax year for which the certificate is executed the
 9    subdivision  or planned development used the parcel as common
10    area, as defined in Section 10-35, and if application for the
11    certificate of error is made prior to December 1, 1997.
12        (e)  The changes made by this amendatory Act  of  of  the
13    91st  General  Assembly apply to certificates of error issued
14    before, on, and after the effective date of  this  amendatory
15    Act of the 91st General Assembly.
16    (Source:  P.A.  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95; 89-671, eff. 8-14-96;
17    90-4,  eff.  3-7-97;  90-288,  eff.  8-1-97;   90-655,   eff.
18    7-30-98.)

19        (35 ILCS 200/16-95)
20        Sec.  16-95.   Powers  and  duties of board of appeals or
21    review; complaints.   In  counties  with  3,000,000  or  more
22    inhabitants,  until  the  first  Monday in December 1998, the
23    board of appeals in any year shall,  on  complaint  that  any
24    property  is  overassessed  or  underassessed,  or is exempt,
25    review and order the assessment corrected.
26        Beginning  the  first  Monday  in   December   1998   and
27    thereafter,  in  counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,
28    the board of review:
29             (1)  shall,  on  upon  written  complaint   of   any
30        taxpayer,  or any taxing district that has an interest in
31        the  assessment,  that  any  property  is   overassessed,
32        underassessed,  or  exempt,  review  the  assessment  and
33        confirm upon good cause shown, revise, correct, alter, or
 
                            -10-               LRB9101536PTpk
 1        modify the any assessment, as appears to be just (or part
 2        of  an  assessment) of any real property; nothing in this
 3        Section,  however,  shall  be  construed  to  require   a
 4        taxpayer to file a complaint with the board; and
 5             (2)  may,  upon  written  motion  of any one or more
 6        members of the board that is made on or before the  dates
 7        specified  in notices given under Section 16-110 for each
 8        township and upon  good  cause  shown,  revise,  correct,
 9        alter,   or   modify   any  assessment  (or  part  of  an
10        assessment) of real property regardless  of  whether  the
11        taxpayer  or  owner of the property has filed a complaint
12        with the board.
13             An assessment  shall  not  be  increased  until  the
14        person  to  be  affected  has  been notified and given an
15        opportunity to be heard. Before making any  reduction  in
16        assessments  of  its  own  motion,  the  board shall give
17        notice to the assessor or No assessment may be changed by
18        the board on its own motion  until the taxpayer in  whose
19        name  the  property  is  assessed  and  the  chief county
20        assessment officer who certified the assessment have been
21        notified and given, and give the assessor or chief county
22        assessment officer an opportunity to  be  heard  thereon.
23        All  taxing  districts  shall  have  an opportunity to be
24        heard on the matter.
25    (Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
26    8-14-96.)

27        (35 ILCS 200/16-125)
28        Sec.  16-125.   Hearings.   In counties with 3,000,000 or
29    more inhabitants, complaints filed with the board of  appeals
30    (until  the  first  Monday  in December 1998 and the board of
31    review beginning  the  first  Monday  in  December  1998  and
32    thereafter)  shall be classified by townships. All complaints
33    shall be docketed numerically, in the order in which they are
 
                            -11-               LRB9101536PTpk
 1    presented, as  nearly  as  possible,  in  books  or  computer
 2    records  kept for that purpose, which shall be open to public
 3    inspection. The complaints shall be considered  by  townships
 4    until  they  have  been  heard  and passed upon by the board.
 5    After completing final action on all matters in  a  township,
 6    the  board  shall  transmit  such final actions to the county
 7    assessor.
 8        A hearing upon any complaint shall not be held until  the
 9    taxpayer  affected  and  the  county  assessor have each been
10    notified and have been given an opportunity to be heard.  All
11    hearings  shall be open to the public and the board shall sit
12    together and  hear  the  representations  of  the  interested
13    parties  or their representatives.  An order for a correction
14    of any assessment shall not be made unless both commissioners
15    of the board, or a majority of the members in the case  of  a
16    board  of  review,  concur  therein,  in which case, an order
17    therefor shall be made in open session  and  entered  in  the
18    records   of  the  board.   When  an  assessment  is  ordered
19    corrected, the board shall transmit a  computer  printout  of
20    the  results,  or  make and sign a brief written statement of
21    the reason for the change and the manner in which the  method
22    used  by the assessor in making the assessment was erroneous,
23    and shall deliver a copy  of  the  statement  to  the  county
24    assessor.  Upon  request the board shall hear any taxpayer in
25    opposition to a proposed reduction in any assessment.
26        The board may destroy or otherwise dispose of  complaints
27    and  records  pertaining  thereto after the lapse of 10 years
28    from the date of filing.
29    (Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
30    8-14-96.)

31        (35 ILCS 200/16-160)
32        Sec.  16-160.   Property  Tax  Appeal Board; process.  In
33    counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,  beginning  with
 
                            -12-               LRB9101536PTpk
 1    assessments made for the 1996 assessment year for residential
 2    property  of  6  units or less and beginning with assessments
 3    made for the 1997 assessment year for all other property, and
 4    for all property in any  county  other  than  a  county  with
 5    3,000,000 or more inhabitants, any taxpayer dissatisfied with
 6    the decision of a board of review or board of appeals as such
 7    decision  pertains  to  the assessment of his or her property
 8    for taxation  purposes,  or  any  taxing  body  that  has  an
 9    interest  in  the decision of the board of review or board of
10    appeals  on  an  assessment  made  by  any  local  assessment
11    officer, may,  (i)  in  counties  with  less  than  3,000,000
12    inhabitants  within  30 days after the date of written notice
13    of the decision of the board of review or (ii) in  assessment
14    year  1999  and thereafter in counties with 3,000,000 or more
15    inhabitants within 30 days after the date  of  the  board  of
16    review notice or within 30 days after the date that the board
17    of  review  transmits  to  the  county  assessor  pursuant to
18    Section 16-125 its final action on the township in which  the
19    property  is  located,  whichever  is later Board of Appeals,
20    appeal the decision to the  Property  Tax  Appeal  Board  for
21    review.  In  any appeal where the board of review or board of
22    appeals has given  written  notice  of  the  hearing  to  the
23    taxpayer 30 days before the hearing, failure to appear at the
24    board  of review or board of appeals hearing shall be grounds
25    for dismissal of the appeal unless a continuance  is  granted
26    to  the  taxpayer.   If an appeal is dismissed for failure to
27    appear at a board of review or board of appeals hearing,  the
28    Property  Tax Appeal Board shall have no jurisdiction to hear
29    any subsequent appeal  on  that  taxpayer's  complaint.  Such
30    taxpayer  or  taxing  body, hereinafter called the appellant,
31    shall file a petition with the  clerk  of  the  Property  Tax
32    Appeal  Board,  setting  forth the facts upon which he or she
33    bases  the  objection,  together  with  a  statement  of  the
34    contentions of law which he or she desires to raise, and  the
 
                            -13-               LRB9101536PTpk
 1    relief  requested.  If a petition is filed by a taxpayer, the
 2    taxpayer is  precluded  from  filing  objections  based  upon
 3    valuation,  as  may otherwise be permitted by Sections 21-175
 4    and 23-5.  However,  any  taxpayer  not  satisfied  with  the
 5    decision  of  the board of review or board of appeals as such
 6    decision pertains to the assessment of his  or  her  property
 7    need not appeal the decision to the Property Tax Appeal Board
 8    before seeking relief in the courts. The changes made by this
 9    amendatory   Act  of  the  91st  General  Assembly  shall  be
10    effective beginning with the 1999 assessment year.
11    (Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
12    8-14-96.)

13        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
14    becoming law.

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