It’s true that the advent of the Internet is making completing forms and taking care of business a whole lot easier these days. It’s also true that now people can file their Cook County property tax appeal paperwork online. Before property owners would have to slate out time from their extremely busy lives to visit the tax assessor’s official office. But since September of 2011, the county has made it possible for processing online filings. While the ability to file online sounds extremely promising, you might want to question if the process is a little TOO easy. If something seems too good to be true, it should cause you to take a step back and think about your next move.
Easy to File Online: Definitely! But is it Almost TOO EASY?
Proceeding with any kind of appeal process without doing a bit of legal research is just not wise, no matter how easy it is to key in information online. If you choose to get legal advice, you can find out precisely what is expected of you as a property owner when you file, and what kind of evidence you’ll need to support your case. In fact, if your appeal case is complex, you might want to forego filing online altogether. An attorney can file the appeal for you, make sure the necessary deadlines are met, and help you get a strong case together for your appeal. Some of the things you’ll need to prepare for the appeal include:
· A comparable market analysis
· An analysis of market trends
· Photographs of your property may be necessary
· Researched information on the history of the property’s assessments
· Clarity on the type of appeal you are filng for when you submit your paperwork
Mistakes Can Happen if You Go it Alone
The online forms may be easy enough to fill out, but if you don’t know how to pitch your case, the fact you filled out your paperwork online will mean little when the appeal is reviewed by the county tax assessor and the review board. Your Cook County property tax appeal can prove incredibly successful if you get a little bit of legal advice before filing online. The benefits of getting legal guidance first will allow you all the following benefits:
· A chance to take with someone knowledge about tax law
· Advice on filling out the necessary forms
· Advice on choosing the right appeal category on the online appeal forms
· Advice on what pitfalls you may or may not face during the appeal process
· You can get information on the type of credible evidence you’ll need to support your case
· You can discuss the entire appeal process and learn about the advanced steps you might have to take in the event of an initial rejection
YOU DON’T GET MANY CHANCES TO APPEAL – DON’T BLOW IT!
There’s no reason you can’t take advantage of today’s technology to file your Cook County property tax appeal, but you don’t want to jump the gun and rush into things. While you only have 30 days to file an appeal, it definitely gives you time to consult with a lawyer first to see if such action is ideal for you. The filing process can still become a cumbersome process, especially if you don’t know exactly what to say when you are filling out the online forms. An attorney can serve as your guide and strengthen the likelihood you will succeed in getting your assessment revalued and your property taxes reduced.