18 La Grange Homes Missing From Tax Rolls: Official

LA GRANGE, IL – Cook County is far behind in assessing the homes in the Mason Pointe townhome development in La Grange.

Eighteen of the homes are missing from the tax rolls, according to the Lyons Township Assessor's office.

In other cases, similar homes built next door to each other have far different property tax bills.

None of this means that local tax bodies are receiving less money. When such mistakes happen, other taxpayers pick up the slack.

For months, Lyons Township Assessor Patrick Hynes, an elected official, has been pointing out problems in tax assessments.

In Cook County, local assessors can assist taxpayers, but they have no authority to assess properties. Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi holds that power.

The Mason Pointe townhome development is northwest of Bluff Avenue and 47th Street, just north of Sedgwick Park.

The townhomes at 427 and 429 Filson St. appear the same. However, according to county records, 427 has a tax bill of just $214, while 429's is $10,880. The homes were completed at the same time and sold within eight days of each other, Hynes said.

A similar gap occurred between 418 and 420 Filson. The townhome at 420 has a property bill of $12,560, while the other's is $214. Finished at the same time, the homes were sold within six days of each other, Hynes said.

"This is not a fair and equitable distribution of the property tax burden," Hynes said in an email to Patch.

In an interview, Hynes said he has been pointing out these issues for a year. He said his predecessor, Barbara Weyrick, also alerted the county.

Scott Smith, a spokesman for the Cook County assessor, acknowledged the problems. He said his office is working with Hynes to correct gaps in property data.

"Correcting the values of these condos is part of that effort," Smith said in an email. "With Lyons Township now open for appeals and assessment changes, we expect to make several changes, including to these condo values. Property owners will be notified about any increases in assessments."

In the long run, Smith said, the county assessor is hiring more analysts and field inspectors in its valuations department to ensure the office is using the best data.

Over the last few months, Patch has reported on problems on Cook County's assessments in Lyons Township:

• WGN Reporter's Taxes In Hinsdale Unusually Low
• Lyons Township Homes Missing From Tax Rolls
• $3.9M Hinsdale House With Low Tax Bill

These are townhomes in the Mason Pointe development in La Grange. The townhome to the left has a property tax bill of $12,560, while the bill for the one to the right is $214. (Courtesy of Lyons Township Assessor's Office)