- Property Tax Appeals
- Illinois
Property owners in Cook County could be paying double property taxes due to something called PIN slamming. In some cases, homeowners might even owe back taxes on these hidden PINs.
How to Read a PIN
Each parcel of land that is taxed receives a property index number or PIN. The PIN is a 14-digit number, broken down into groupings that describe something specific about the parcel of land. The first two numbers are the area number (for the township). The next two numbers are the subarea within that township. The next three numbers are the block number. The next three numbers are the specific parcel number. If the property is a condo or leasehold, the last four digits will be the unit number. Otherwise, the last four digits are zeroes
In the case of PIN slamming, a property straddles the line between two parcels, so it actually has more than one PIN assigned. However, when the house sells, the seller hides one PIN, so the new owner doesn’t realize they’re actually going to have to pay taxes on two parcels or PINs.
In some cases, the homeowner isn’t alerted to the existence of the second PIN until they receive a notice that the property is getting sold for back taxes on the second, unpaid PIN.
How can Homeowners Protect Themselves?
Part of any real-estate transaction is known as good faith negotiation, which is a duty to disclose. In the instance of the purchase of a bank foreclosure, the bank would have the duty to disclose that the property has two PINs.
It’s also helpful to look into the history of the neighborhood. For instance, in some neighborhoods, like Markham and Robbins, developers built homes sitting on two lots decades ago.
If the home purchase wasn’t through a foreclosure, the title company technically has the responsibility alert the buyer to the PINs involved in the transaction, but a real estate attorney handling a property closing can order a Plat of Survey to spot multiple PINs tied to the address.
Victims of PIN slamming can reach out to the Recorder of Deeds Office and its fraud prevention experts. Appealing the property tax assessment is also another avenue to get tax relief.
Property taxes unappealing? KSN can help.
Appealing your Illinois property taxes is one way to ensure that the amount you pay is fair whether you live in the north/northwest Chicago suburbs, south/southwest Chicago suburbs, or in the City of Chicago.
Since 2015, KSN has worked diligently to save our clients over $150 million in reduced property tax assessments. We handle property tax appeals from start to finish for every type of property including:
- Community association property tax appeals
- Residential property tax appeals
- Multi-family and apartment building property tax appeals
- Retail and small business property tax appeals
- Commercial and office building property tax appeals
- Industrial property tax appeals
We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay no legal fees unless an assessment reduction is achieved.
Questions about our property tax appeal services? Contact us by calling 847-537-0500 or by visiting www.ksnlaw.com/tax-appeal.
Please note the material contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established by your review or receipt of the information contained in this article. You should not act on the information discussed in this article without first obtaining legal advice from an attorney duly licensed to practice law in your State. While KSN has made every effort to include up-to-date information in this article, the law can change quickly. Accordingly, please understand that information discussed in this article may not yet reflect the most recent legal developments. Material is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date. KSN reserves the right to revise or update the information and statements of law discussed in the article law at any time, without notice, and disclaims any liability for your use of information or statements of law discussed on the article, or the accessibility of the article generally. This article may be considered advertising in some jurisdictions under applicable law/s and/or ethical rules/regulations. © 2023 Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit, A Professional Corporation.
