Trustee Candidate Snagged Not One But Three Homeowner's Tax Exemptions. How Did She Do That?

Caption: Former Oak Lawn trustee Cynthia Trautsch who is trying to reclaim the first district seat on village board claimed property tax exemptions on residential rental properties when law states she can only claim an exemption on primary residence.

A former village trustee who is trying to reclaim her seat on the Oak Lawn Village Board is under investigation for receiving homestead exemptions on multiple properties.

The Cook County Assessor’s Office issued a tax lien notice dated Feb. 10, 2015, to Cynthia Trautsch for two residential properties she owns in the 6900 block of West 95th Place and the 4100 block of Dean Drive, both in Oak Lawn.

Trautsch, a certified public accountant and professional tax auditor for the California State Board of Equalization, is also receiving a homeowner’s exemption for her primary residence at 6847 W. 95th Place.

Reached Wednesday evening, Trautsch said she received the tax lien notices “months ago” and that they were paid, although the lien notices state that back taxes are due on March 12, 2015.

“My accountant and attorney, they were the ones in arrears,” she said. “End of story.”

Trautsch declined to answer how she got three homeowners’ exemptions or explain her property tax issues.

The law states that homeowners may claim only one exemption on their primary residence. The Homestead Exemption provides tax relief by reducing the equalized assessed valuation of an eligible residence.

According to the assessor’s 20-page tax lien obtained by Patch through a Freedom of Information Act request, Trautsch claimed homeowner’s exemptions for her residential rental properties on 95th Place and Dean Drive totaling $6,601.94.

The exemptions covered the taxable years of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Both properties also show an active appeals history, in which Trautsch protested the assessed value of both rental homes, according to public records on the assessor’s website.

She successfully won a reduction of $1,377 in property taxes for the 95th Place rental home in 2011, the same year she claimed an exemption to which she wasn’t entitled.

In addition, the letter “e” was added to her last name spelling “Trautsche,” as the taxpayer of record on the 95th Place property dating back to 2008.

Trautsch is the listed landlord for both homes in the latest village licensing records available from 2014. The village requires landlords to register tenants and tenants’ vehicles who are renting their properties.

Shortly after assuming office in 2010, Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios proposed the Fraudulent Exemption Legislation (SB41) after the high number of fraudulent property tax exemptions being reported to his office.

The legislation was passed by the Illinois General Assembly in June 2013, and signed into law the next month by then-Gov. Pat Quinn. Prior to this law, there was nothing in place to deter taxpayers from receiving multiple exemptions to which they weren’t entitled, and nothing that could be done to help recover the money.

Since the new law was passed, the Cook County Assessor’s Office has collected $7.318 million, with more than $14 million billed. About $7.385 million remains outstanding.

The collected tax revenue is returned to the local taxing bodies, including schools, parks and municipalities, for such services such as police, fire and public works.

Trautsch was appointed to fill the unexpired term of former Trustee Jerry Hurckes in the first district, following Hurckes’ resignation in 2011.

She lost in 2013 when she ran with former mayor Dave Heilmann’s unsuccessful Mayor’s Independence Party slate. Trautsch is trying to reclaim the first district seat in the upcoming April election.

According to the tax lien notices, Trautsch has 30 days to request a hearing before the Cook County Assessor.

Trautsch Property Taxes 2010-2013