Sigh. So much for that. My husband came home, and we dug out all our paperwork, and looked at the forms online. Our property tax has doubled, increased by 100% over the last four years. However, our income is too large to qualify us for the Long-time Occupant Homestead Exemption.

I certainly should not complain about our income, but the amount that put us over the line was interest income on the money we had set aside for the children's education. We decided NOT to invest this cash money we had, and put it into CD's instead, meaning that this very important money survived the investment crash of the Great Recession and we still have it. And the interest income as well.

The lesson here, my friends, is that even though we own no car, a tiny town home with one bathroom and no garage, even we have trouble living on one professional income. My part-time employment will have to increase to full-time (such timing, I know) in order to keep our oldest in a state college and have enough four years later for the next child.

If you want to know about the futility of scholarships in a year with the largest number of college students in the history of our nation, I could give you an earful.

See, Candace, now you are making this difficult. It is very simple.

1. no IRS returns are required. You fill out the 1 page income questionairre that I linked, and take it with you to the Assessors office.
It is an affidavait swearing that you are stating your income honestly.
As I said in /m17490
http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/forms/2008SRFrz.pdf
this is the senior freeze form - while you don't fill out the senior freeze app - on the second page is the income sheet - download and fill out the income sheet. Take it with you. This is the same sheet for longtime occupant exemption.

2. copies of the current 2nd installment bill are required - real estate, cook county, the one you just received and a copy of the 2007 cook county 2nd installment real estate tax bill - the one you got last year at this time.

as I said in /m17490
Take a copy of your current tax bill - 2nd installment and the 2nd installment of 2007 with you and a copy of both sides of your drivers license.

3. Copies of both sides of your drivers license, not your husband's unless you are not an owner taxpayer. If not an owner occupant then don't bother going. One of the owners must apply.

If your neighbor gets a longtime occupant app in the mail, she must supply all the same info as you. You must apply for this every year because it depends on income and occupancy of your home. I did not get any form in the mail and I don't escrow my taxes. Additionally I had been an applicant and recipient in the past.

I would be very interested to know how many people just received the longtime occupant form in the mail.

Unless you are eligible going back some years - I did not say anything about a refund. You get a new tax bill - tell me that your bank hasn't paid your bill early.

as I said in /m17490
Here is the reason you should go to Skokie.... At the end of the day all the longtime homeowner and other apps are processed and new tax bills are mailed to you immediately.

Thanks so much Ann!
I may go do this tomorrow! I'll take copies of my husband's ID as well? Copies of former tax bills? Copies of Federal Tax Form for last three years?

A friendly 8th Ward neighbor called me up and shared with me that she gets this form by mail, and mails it in. We did not get this form in the mail. Would this be because our Escrow company pays the tax bill?

Any refund we get goes straight to the college tuition!

Canadace

By the way, this the kind of information our township assessor should be sharing.

Candace - the savings is/are huge and is based on the increased assessed value which is really the prime reason for huge increases in your tax bill.

Here is the reason you should go to Skokie. It is an amazing community of people in pain yet still able to laugh and get to know one another. 2. Everything is done right there. At the end of the day all the longtime homeowner and other apps are processed and new tax bills are mailed to you immediately.

Very important that you have several forms filled out.

http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/forms/2008SRFrz.pdf
this is the senior freeze form - while you don't fill out the senior freeze app - on the second page is the income sheet - download and fill out the income sheet. Take it with you. This is the same sheet for longtime occupant exemption.

Certificate of error form - fill it out and take it with you. http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/forms/HoCofE.pdf. Don't fill out the certificate of error number or year - let them do that when your number is
called.

Take a copy of your current tax bill - 2nd installment and the 2nd installment of 2007 with you and a copy of both sides of your drivers license.

The office is on the first floor of the court house.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT EXEMPTION AND IF YOU QUALIFY, IT IS JUST PLAIN IGNORANT NOT TO APPLY. THE WAIT IS WORTH IT!

In addition to the long time occupant affidavit, It is possible the person that assists will have something else for you to fill out but if you take what I took - you will be way ahead. My visit with the assessor's deputy, once my number was called, took about 6 minutes.

Another tip. There is a guy acting as a facilitator in the room. Ignore him. Get your number, hang out until a deputy at the counter can see you.

Any questions?

Ann, this is great news! Rick and I were just looking over the tax bill. We now pay $5,000 a year for our little townhome with one bathroom and no garage. But, I believe it did go up more than 10% from last year to this, so perhaps we will be able to save a few hundred dollars. I didn't quite get from reading it over three times if the increase is in the taxes or the assessed value?

So you really think I'll have to ride the bus all the way to the Skokie Court House to get the right form?

I am discovering that many people do not know about this exemption. If you own your home and have lived in your home 10 years and have a household income under 100,000, please read below. If you need a form - I couldn't find a current one on line - go to the county assessors office in the Skokie Court House. This is a valuable exemption and can make a huge difference in your bill.


Long-time Occupant Homestead Exemption (LOHE) – Cook County Only
Public Act 95-644 that passed into law in 2007 created a new homestead exemption for counties that are subject to the AGHE (currently only in Cook County). The new exemption is in effect in Cook County beginning with 2007 tax year for residential property that is occupied as a primary residence for a continuous period by a qualified taxpayer with a total household income of $100,000 or less. The property must be occupied for 10 continuous years or 5 continuous years if the person receives assistance to acquire the property as part of a government or non-profit housing program. This exemption limits EAV increases to a specific annual percentage increase that is based on the total household income of $100,000 or less. A total household income of $75,000 or less is limited to a 7% annual percentage increase in EAV or a total household income of over $75,000 to $100,000 is limited to a 10% annual percentage increase in EAV. The minimum limit is the same amount calculated for the GHE with no maximum limit amount for the exemption. Properties cannot receive both the LOHE and the AGHE, GHE or SCAFHE. Properties that qualify for the SCAFHE will receive the same amount calculated for the GHE. For information and to apply contact the Cook County Assessor's Office.

Thanks, Bernard. Someone's Mama needs a talking to.

Too much candy at your house now that the Halloween holiday is over? Operation Gratitude will take it off your hands! http://www.opgratitude.com

I'm organizing a collection at our school: all you need is a box and the cost of shipping it to Operation Gratitude in California!

Court update: defendants have not been admitted to the program with no explanation. Case is continued until the 23rd.

Hi Ann and Karen -- yes, egg cartons were collected. With Michele's help have determined one set came from Aldi's, we're still working on the rest.

Karen - I hope you are right.

Court people - all are invited. see you today at 9:30 room 207, Skokie.

We live near the corner of Oakton and Ridge. No Halloween eggings observed or heard about.

Perhaps the cartons were discarded here after the contents were used elsewhere.

Saturday, November 7 2009
8:30am
FY2010-11 Budget Workshop


Reminder for all those who want to participate in the resident budget program - you must attend this Saturday at the Levy Center.


FY2010-11 BUDGET WORKSHOP
Levy Center (Gym), 300 Dodge Avenue
8:30 am to 1 pm

This is the first of a series of four FY2010-11 Budget workshops. This meeting will present a general overview of City operations and finances. While observers are welcome at all workshops, attendance at this meeting is required for active participation in the 3 subsequent workshops.

OK thanks for the info. I was merely reporting info from police calls. I do not believe there were any reports for the sightings you note. Did you collect the cartons as requested?

Ann, just an FYI, while out biking today, noticed broken eggs on the sidewalk in the 1100 block of Howard (Evanston side, Evanston address numbers). Then saw empty egg cartons on south side of Oakton between Ashbury and Ridge.