2021 Rock Island County Property Tax Appeals Are Due

Illinois tax assessments for 2020 are online as of November 21st, so it is time to review your property tax assessment if you live in Rock Island County. Keep in mind, Illinois properties are assessed at 33.33% of the assessor’s opinion of the market value of your property as of January 1st, 2020. No consideration will be given to any external factors which would change the value of your property after this date.

The County Assessor’s site lists the following seven steps to an appeal on their website.

1. Obtain the assessed valuation of your property.
2. Determine the fair market value for your property.
3. Discuss the assessment with your assessor.
4. Determine the basis for your formal appeal.
5. File a written appeal with your Board of Review.
6. Present evidence of unfair assessment to the Board of Review at the hearing.
7. Appeal the Board of Review’s decision to the State Property Tax Appeal Board (in writing) in the event of an unsatisfactory decision by the Board of Review.

Has your assessment changed? If yes, please consider many townships have an equalizer applied which will automatically result in a modest increase in value.

If you think the value is wrong, obtain a copy of the property record card. For Moline, Hampton, South Rock Island, and South Moline, these are available online. For the other townships, you may need to call or visit the assessor’s office whose contact information can be accessed here.

Review the information on the property record card and make sure the land size and building size information are correct. Ask the assessor to correct the information and revalue the property in the case of mistakes.

We recommend protesting the assessment at the County Board of Review if you feel the value is incorrect. The rules and procedures on how to file a property tax appeal can be accessed here. Appeals will need to be filed by mail since the Rock Island County Board of Review office is currently closed to the public.

You will need to present evidence supporting your opinion of value. This may be in the form of sales of similar properties in the recent past, a recent appraisal for refinancing purposes, or an appraisal specifically requested for the appeal. The sales or appraisals need to be before, or shortly after, January 1st, 2020. Certain exceptions may apply:

“In the event the contesting party is unable to submit written or documentary evidence with the complaint form, he or she must submit a letter requesting an extension of time with the complaint form. At the time the request is received, the Board of Review may grant up to a 15-day Extension.”

You can request a virtual hearing through Zoom or Teleconference. You may also ask the Board to act on the appeal without a hearing. If you are still not satisfied with the assessment, an appeal can be filed with the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board.

Please feel free to contact us at (563) 355.6606 or info@royrfisher.com with any questions.