How to Find Money in Your Own Backyard

Q: Why hire a lawyer for a property tax appeal?

Are you a residential or commercial property owner looking for extra money? Well, you might not need to look further than your own backyard. Literally. No, not buried treasure. We are talking about lowering your property tax bill and all the reasons doing so might be possible.

As Illinois property tax appeals attorneys, we not only help clients in Cook County with residential tax appeals, but we also handle commercial tax appeals throughout the state. Property values in Illinois are reassessed every four years– except in Cook County where reassessments happen every three years.

Reasons for hiring a law firm that specializes in property tax appeals include that attorneys:

  • understand the complicated laws and have up-to-date information on correctly measuring fluctuations in property value
  • can prepare a timely appeal because the deadline to file an appeal is less than 30 days after receipt of your tax assessment notice
  • have a team of specialists and access to resources important in a property tax assessment review and appeal
  • have strong relationships with township assessors from years of working with them
  • can handle not only the application but the appeal process, if warranted.

In addition, only licensed attorneys can handle hearings before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board or any appeals cases through the court system. So why hire someone else who can’t go the distance, if needed?

Some reasons that commercial property taxes should be appealed include:

  • similar nearby properties have lower appraised values than yours
  • many vacancies or cash flow problems in an income-producing property
  • incorrect structural information on an existing appraisal
  • defects requiring expensive repairs in your structure or on your property
  • high taxes are scaring away potential buyers or tenants
  • you’re a new buyer or tenant and the prior owner never appealed the taxes.

If you are a residential, commercial, or industrial property owner interested in appealing your property tax assessment, the experienced attorneys at M&A Law Firm can help. We work on a contingency basis and won’t charge you a fee unless we are successful in reducing your property taxes. So, you have nothing to lose.

Contact us today for a free consultation. From our offices in Schaumburg, we represent clients in Cook County, and throughout the state of Illinois.