Real Estate Law

SALT Basics - How to File a Property Tax Appeal: Commercial and Residential

Presented by the ISBA State and Local Tax Section


0.50 hours MCLE credit


Original Program Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2021
MCLE Accreditation Extension Period: ­­­­­­­July 25, 2023 - July 24, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Program Coordinators:
Gary H. Smith, Law Offices of Gary H. Smith, P.C., Chicago
David J. Kupiec, Kupiec & Martin LLC, Chicago

Program Moderator:
Mary Nicolau
, Fox Rothschild LLP, Chicago


How to File A Property Tax Appeal: Commercial and Residential

Get the information you need to property file a property tax appeal. Topics include: grounds for appeal, how to evaluate property value, characteristics/property information, lack of uniformity, and how to handle catastrophes, disasters, and pandemics.
Gary H. Smith, Law Offices, of Gary H. Smith, Chicago


*Originally presented as part of ISBA’s State and Local Tax Basics CLE Webcast Series to help you increase your basic understanding of current and ongoing state and local tax issues. Find more sessions in this series in the ISBA On-Demand CLE catalog.



Pricing Information
  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $15 displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • Non-Member Price $25
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $15
    • Law Students - Free

Guerrero v. Howard Bank

Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Property
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 22-3078
Decision Date: 
July 19, 2023
Federal District: 
N.D. Ill., E. Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed

Dist. Ct. did not err in dismissing plaintiffs’ slander of title and unjust enrichment actions, arising out of defendant-bank’s recording of mortgage lien it held on plaintiffs’ property. Record showed that: (1) plaintiffs and another sibling were beneficiaries of trust that held title to property; (2) prior to trust grantor’s death, sibling convinced grantor to make sibling sole beneficiary of trust, with sole power of discretion; (3) plaintiffs brought undue influence claim against sibling in state court to re-establish their interests in property; (4) state court rendered money judgment against sibling; (5) sibling thereafter directs trustee to issue trustee deed to sibling’s daughter; (6) sibling's daughter thereafter obtained mortgage loan from defendant, using property as collateral; (7) state reviewing court subsequently affirms money judgment against sibling and imposes retroactive constructive trust, but declines to rule in rights of any third-party to property; and (8) plaintiffs sell property and pay off mortgage. Plaintiff’s slander of title fails because defendant held valid mortgage to property, where sibling’s daughter held valid title to property at time of mortgage. Moreover, plaintiffs’ unjust enrichment claim, which was based on contention that defendant had refused plaintiffs' request to release mortgage prior to payoff, fails since plaintiffs took title to property subject to valid mortgage, which was continuing security interest on said property.

In re Application of County Treasurer and ex officio County Collector of Lake County

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Property Tax Code
Citation
Case Number: 
2023 IL App (2d) 220242
Decision Date: 
Friday, July 14, 2023
District: 
2d Dist.
Division/County: 
Lake Co.
Holding: 
Reversed and remanded.
Justice: 
JORGENSEN

Plaintiffs filed a tax objection complaint after their appeal for a reduction in their real estate tax assessment was denied by the local board of review. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants and plaintiffs appealed. The appellate court reversed and remanded, finding that the trial court erred when it concluded that the plaintiffs were barred under the Property Tax Code from filing a tax objection complaint in the circuit court after they voluntarily withdrew an appeal with the property tax appeal board. (McLAREN and SCHOSTOK, concurring)

Public Act 103-132

Topic: 
EFT payments by tenants

(Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove; Villivalam, D-Chicago) amends the Landlord and Tenant Act to prohibit a landlord from requiring a tenant or prospective tenant to pay by electronic fund transfer to a landlord under a residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement. On or after March 1, 2024, a violation is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. This Act applies to leases or agreements executed after January 1, 2024. 

In re Application of the County Treasurer & ex officio County Collector of Cook County

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Property Tax Code
Citation
Case Number: 
2023 IL App (1st) 220182
Decision Date: 
Friday, June 30, 2023
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
6th Div./Cook Co.
Holding: 
Vacated and remanded with directions.
Justice: 
C.A. WALKER

In a case involving the purchase of delinquent property taxes and the issuance of a tax deed, the appellate court reversed and remanded the trial court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of the petitioner by finding that the petitioner failed to serve notice on the respondent in strict compliance with the Property Tax Code. (MIKVA and ODEN JOHNSON, concurring)

In re Application of the County Treasurer & ex officio County Collector of Cook County

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Property Tax Sale
Citation
Case Number: 
2023 IL App (1st) 220070
Decision Date: 
Friday, June 30, 2023
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
6th Div./Cook Co.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Justice: 
C.A. WALKER

Petitioner appealed from a trial court judgment in favor of the defendant in a case involving the sale of delinquent property taxes, arguing that the trial court erred when it denied plaintiff’s motion to dismiss the defendant’s affirmative defense of ratification, that the trial court improperly denied plaintiff’s allegation that the tax deed was void, and that the trial court erred when it did not order that the tax deed be vacated. The appellate court affirmed, finding that the trial court did not err when it denied the motion to dismiss the affirmative defense of ratification and that the trial court did not err in finding in favor of the defendant because the tax deed was not void. (MIKVA and ODEN JOHNSON, concurring)

In re Application of the County Treasurer & ex officio County Collector of Cook County

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Property Tax Code
Citation
Case Number: 
2023 IL App (1st) 221366
Decision Date: 
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
3d Div./Cook Co.
Holding: 
Appeal dismissed.
Justice: 
McBRIDE

Appeal arising out of respondent’s petition pursuant to section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure to set aside a tax deed issued to the petitioner. Respondent argued on appeal that the petitioner failed to provide the requisite proof of service in compliance with the Property Tax Code for issuance of a tax deed. While the case was on appeal an unrelated third party contracted to purchase the property and the petitioner filed a motion to dismiss the appeal as moot. The appellate court dismissed the appeal, finding that it did not have the ability to grant the relief requested by the respondent. (REYES and BURKE, concurring)

In re Application of the County Treasurer & ex officio County Collector of Cook County

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Property Tax Code
Citation
Case Number: 
2023 IL App (1st) 221366
Decision Date: 
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
3d Div./Cook Co.
Holding: 
Appeal dismissed.
Justice: 
McBRIDE

Appeal arising out of respondent’s petition pursuant to section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure to set aside a tax deed issued to the petitioner. Respondent argued on appeal that the petitioner failed to provide the requisite proof of service in compliance with the Property Tax Code for issuance of a tax deed. While the case was on appeal an unrelated third party contracted to purchase the property and the petitioner filed a motion to dismiss the appeal as moot. The appellate court dismissed the appeal, finding that it did not have the ability to grant the relief requested by the respondent. (REYES and BURKE, concurring)

Public Act 103-61

Topic: 
Real estate foreclosure

(Murphy, D-Des Plaines; Collins, D-Chicago) deletes Section 15-1503(b) that requires, among other things, a copy of the notice of foreclosure to be sent by first class mail to the municipality or county within the boundary of which the residential real estate is located. Provides that the court may seal a file, upon motion of a mortgagor, of any foreclosure action filed during the “COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period.” (From March 9, 2020, to December 31, 2021.) This Section applies to any action to foreclose a mortgage relating to: (1) residential real estate as defined in Section 15-1219; and (2) real estate improved with a dwelling structure containing dwelling units for six or fewer families living independently of each other in which the mortgagor is a natural person landlord renting the dwelling units, even if the mortgagor does not occupy any of the dwelling units as the mortgagor’s personal residence. This section doesn’t apply to mortgages enacted by the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. If a residential eviction action filed during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period is still pending after June 9, 2023, the court shall order the sealing of the court file. Effective June 9, 2023, but this section is repealed on June 1, 2025.