HB6312 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 20479 BDD 48335 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB6312

Introduced , by Rep. Ed Sullivan, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 200/16-55
35 ILCS 200/16-125
35 ILCS 200/16-170

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, at hearings before the board of review or the Property Tax Appeal Board, the assessor bears the burden of proof to establish the justness, accuracy, and reasonableness of the assessment. Effective immediately.

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning revenue.

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

Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing Sections 16-55, 16-125, and 16-170 as follows:

(35 ILCS 200/16-55)

Sec. 16-55. Complaints. On written complaint that any property is overassessed or underassessed, the board shall review the assessment, and correct it, as appears to be just, but in no case shall the property be assessed at a higher percentage of fair cash value than other property in the assessment district prior to equalization by the board or the Department. A complaint to affect the assessment for the current year shall be filed on or before the 10th day of August in counties with less than 150,000 inhabitants and on or before the 10th day of September in counties with 150,000 or more but less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, except if the assessment books containing the assessment complained of are not filed with the board of review by the 10th day of July in a county with fewer than 150,000 inhabitants or by the 10th day of August in a county with 150,000 or more but less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, then the complaint shall be filed on or before 30 calendar days after the date of publication of the assessment list under Section 12-10. The board may also, at any time before its revision of the assessments is completed in every year, increase, reduce or otherwise adjust the assessment of any property, making changes in the valuation as may be just, and shall have full power over the assessment of any person and may do anything in regard thereto that it may deem necessary to make a just assessment, but the property shall not be assessed at a higher percentage of fair cash value than the assessed valuation of other property in the assessment district prior to equalization by the board or the Department. No assessment shall be increased until the person to be affected has been notified and given an opportunity to be heard, except as provided below. At each hearing upon any complaint, the assessor or chief county assessment officer who certified the assessment bears the burden of proof to establish the justness, accuracy, and reasonableness of the assessment. Before making any reduction in assessments of its own motion, the board of review shall give notice to the assessor or chief county assessment officer who certified the assessment, and give the assessor or chief county assessment officer an opportunity to be heard thereon. All complaints of errors in assessments of property shall be in writing, and shall be filed by the complaining party with the board of review, in duplicate. The duplicate shall be filed by the board of review with the assessor or chief county assessment officer who certified the assessment. In all cases where a change in assessed valuation of $100,000 or more is sought, the board of review shall also serve a copy of the petition on all taxing districts as shown on the last available tax bill at least 14 days prior to the hearing on the complaint. All taxing districts shall have an opportunity to be heard on the complaint. Complaints shall be classified by townships or taxing districts by the clerk of the board of review. All classes of complaints shall be docketed numerically, each in its own class, in the order in which they are presented, in books kept for that purpose, which books shall be open to public inspection. Complaints shall be considered by townships or taxing districts until all complaints have been heard and passed upon by the board.

(Source: P.A. 86-345; 86-413; 86-1028; 86-1481; 88-455.)

(35 ILCS 200/16-125)

Sec. 16-125. Hearings. In counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, complaints filed with the board of appeals (until the first Monday in December 1998 and the board of review beginning the first Monday in December 1998 and thereafter) shall be classified by townships. All complaints shall be docketed numerically, in the order in which they are presented, as nearly as possible, in books or computer records kept for that purpose, which shall be open to public inspection. The complaints shall be considered by townships until they have been heard and passed upon by the board. After completing final action on all matters in a township, the board shall transmit such final actions to the county assessor.

A hearing upon any complaint shall not be held until the taxpayer affected and the county assessor have each been notified and have been given an opportunity to be heard. All hearings shall be open to the public and the board shall sit together and hear the representations of the interested parties or their representatives. At each hearing upon any complaint, the county assessor bears the burden of proof to establish the justness, accuracy, and reasonableness of the assessment. An order for a correction of any assessment shall not be made unless both commissioners of the board, or a majority of the members in the case of a board of review, concur therein, in which case, an order therefor shall be made in open session and entered in the records of the board. When an assessment is ordered corrected, the board shall transmit a computer printout of the results, or make and sign a brief written statement of the reason for the change and the manner in which the method used by the assessor in making the assessment was erroneous, and shall deliver a copy of the statement to the county assessor. Upon request the board shall hear any taxpayer in opposition to a proposed reduction in any assessment.

The board may destroy or otherwise dispose of complaints and records pertaining thereto after the lapse of 5 years from the date of filing.

(Source: P.A. 91-393, eff. 7-30-99; 91-425, eff. 8-6-99; 92-133, eff. 7-24-01.)

(35 ILCS 200/16-170)

Sec. 16-170. Hearings. A hearing shall be granted if any party to the appeal so requests, and, upon motion of any party to the appeal or by direction of the Property Tax Appeal Board, any appeal may be set down for a hearing, with proper notice to the interested parties. Notice to all interested taxing bodies shall be deemed to have been given when served upon the State's Attorney of the county from which the appeal has been taken. Hearings may be held before less than a majority of the members of the Board, and the chairman may assign members or hearing officers to hold hearings. Such hearings shall be open to the public and shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of practice and procedure promulgated by the Board. At each hearing, the assessor or chief county assessment officer who certified the assessment bears the burden of proof to establish the justness, accuracy, and reasonableness of the assessment. The Board, any member or hearing officer may require the production of any books, records, papers or documents that may be material or relevant as evidence in any matter pending before it and necessary for the making of a just decision.

(Source: P.A. 76-689; 88-455.)

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