State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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Public Act 91-0425

HB0928 Enrolled                                LRB9103088PTpk

    AN ACT  to  amend  the  Property  Tax  Code  by  changing
Sections 5-5, 12-50, 16-95, 16-125, and 16-160.

    Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The Property Tax Code is amended by  changing
Sections 5-5, 12-50, 16-95, 16-125, and 16-160 as follows:

    (35 ILCS 200/5-5)
    Sec.  5-5.  Election of commissioners of board of review;
counties of 3,000,000 or more.
    (a)  In counties with 3,000,000 or more  inhabitants,  on
the  first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 1994, 2
commissioners of the board of appeals  shall  be  elected  to
hold office from the first Monday in December following their
election and until the first Monday in December 1998. In case
of  any  vacancy, the chief judge of the circuit court or any
judge of that circuit designated by  the  chief  judge  shall
fill  the  vacancy by appointment. The commissioners shall be
electors in the  particular  county  at  the  time  of  their
election  or  appointment  and  shall hold no other lucrative
public office or public employment. Each  commissioner  shall
receive  compensation  fixed by the county board, which shall
be paid out of the county treasury and  which  shall  not  be
changed during the term for which any commissioner is elected
or  appointed.  Effective  the first Monday in December 1998,
the board of appeals is abolished.
    The  board   of   appeals   shall   maintain   sufficient
evidentiary  records  to  support  all  decisions made by the
board of appeals.  All records,  data,  sales/ratio  studies,
and  other  information  necessary  for  the  board of review
elected under subsection (c) to  perform  its  functions  and
duties  shall  be  transferred by the board of appeals to the
board of review on the first Monday in December 1998.
    (b) (Blank).
    (c)  In each county with 3,000,000 or  more  inhabitants,
there is created a board of review. The board of review shall
consist  of  3  commissioners  members, one elected from each
election district in the county at the  general  election  in
1998  to hold office for a term beginning on the first Monday
in  December  following  their  election  and   until   their
respective successors are elected and qualified.
    No  later  than  June 1, 1996, the General Assembly shall
establish the boundaries for the 3 election districts in each
county with  3,000,000  or  more  inhabitants.  The  election
districts    shall   be   compact,   contiguous,   and   have
substantially the same population based on the  1990  federal
decennial  census.  One  district  shall be designated as the
first election district, one as the second election district,
and one as the  third  election  district.  The  commissioner
member  from  each  district  shall be elected to a term of 4
years.
    In the year following each federal decennial census,  the
General  Assembly shall reapportion the election districts to
reflect  the  results  of  the  census.   The   reapportioned
districts   shall   be   compact,   contiguous,  and  contain
substantially the same population.  The  commissioner  member
from the first district shall be elected to terms of 4 years,
4  years,  and  2  years.  The   commissioner member from the
second district shall be elected  to  terms  of  4  years,  2
years,  and  4  years. The commissioner member from the third
district shall be elected to terms of 2 years, 4 years, and 4
years.
    In case of vacancy, the chief judge of the circuit  court
or  any  judge  of  the circuit court designated by the chief
judge shall fill the vacancy by appointment of a person  from
the  same political party. If the vacancy is filled with more
than  28  months  remaining  in  the  term,   the   appointed
commissioner  member  shall  serve  until  the  next  general
election,  at  which  time  a  commissioner  member  shall be
elected to serve for the remainder of the term. If a  vacancy
is  filled  with 28 months or less remaining in the term, the
appointment shall be for  the  remainder  of  the  term.  The
commissioners   members   shall   be  electors  within  their
respective election district at the time of their election or
appointment and shall hold no other lucrative  public  office
or public employment.
    Each commissioner member shall receive compensation fixed
by  the  county  board,   which shall be paid from the county
treasury. Compensation for each commissioner member shall  be
equitable  and shall not be changed during the term for which
that commissioner member is elected or appointed. The  county
shall provide suitable office space for the board of review.
    For  the  year  beginning on the first Monday in December
1998 and ending the first Monday in December 1999, and  every
fourth  year  thereafter, the chair of the board shall be the
commissioner member elected from the first district.  For the
year beginning the first Monday in December 1999  and  ending
the  first  Monday  in  December  2000, and every fourth year
thereafter, the chair of the board shall be the  commissioner
member  elected  from  the  second  district.   For  the year
beginning the first Monday in December 2000  and  ending  the
first   Monday  in  December  2001,  and  every  fourth  year
thereafter,  the  chair  shall  be  the  commissioner  member
elected from the third district.  For the year beginning  the
first  Monday in December 2001 and ending the first Monday in
December 2002, and every fourth year thereafter, the chair of
the board shall be determined by lot.
    On and after the first  Monday  in  December,  1998,  any
reference  in  this Code to a board of appeals shall mean the
board of  review  created  under  this  subsection,  and  any
reference  to  a  member  of  a  board of review shall mean a
commissioner of a  board  of  review.   Whenever  it  may  be
necessary  for  purposes of determining its jurisdiction, the
board of review shall be deemed to succeed to the powers  and
duties  of  the  former  board  of appeals; provided that the
board of review shall also have all of the powers and  duties
granted  to  it  under this Code.  All action of the board of
review shall be by  a  majority  vote  of  its  commissioners
members.
(Source:  P.A.  88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95; 89-671, eff.
8-14-96.)

    (35 ILCS 200/12-50)
    Sec. 12-50.  Mailed notice to taxpayer  after  change  by
board  of  review  or  board  of  appeals.  If final board of
review or board of appeals  action  regarding  any  property,
including  equalization under Section 16-60 or Section 16-65,
results in an increased or decreased  assessment,  the  board
shall mail a notice to the taxpayer, at his or her address as
it  appears  in  the  assessment  records,  whose property is
affected by such action, and in the case of a complaint filed
with a board of review under Section 16-25 or 16-115, to  the
taxing  body  filing the complaint.  A copy shall be given to
the assessor or chief county assessment officer if his or her
assessment was reversed or modified by  the  board.   Written
notice  shall  also  be  given  to  any  taxpayer who filed a
complaint in writing with the board and whose assessment  was
not  changed.  The  notice shall set forth the assessed value
prior to board action; the assessed value after  final  board
action  but prior to any equalization; and the assessed value
as equalized by the board, if  the  board  equalizes.    This
notice  shall state that the value as certified to the county
clerk by the board will be the locally assessed value of  the
property  for  that  year  and  each  succeeding year, unless
revised in a succeeding year in the manner provided  in  this
Code.  The  written  notice shall also set forth specifically
the facts upon which  the  board's  decision  is  based.   In
counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, the notice and
shall  also  contain the following statement: "You may appeal
this decision to the Property Tax Appeal Board  by  filing  a
petition for review with the Property Tax Appeal Board within
30  days after this notice is mailed to you or your agent, or
is personally served upon you or your agent"; except that, in
counties with 3,000,000 or  more  inhabitants  the  statement
shall  be  included in the written notice (i) for residential
property with 6 units or less beginning with assessments made
for the 1996 assessment year and (ii) for all other  property
in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants beginning with
assessments  made  for the 1997 assessment year.  In counties
with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,  the  notice  shall  also
contain  the  following  statement:   "You  may  appeal  this
decision  to  the  Property  Tax  Appeal  Board  by  filing a
petition for review with the Property Tax Appeal Board within
30 days after the date of this notice or within 30 days after
the date that the Board of Review  transmits  to  the  county
assessor  pursuant  to Section 16-125 its final action on the
township in which your  property  is  located,  whichever  is
later". The Board shall publish its transmittal date of final
action  on each township in at least one newspaper of general
circulation  in  the  county.    The  changes  made  by  this
amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly apply to the 1999
assessment year and thereafter.
(Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
8-14-96.)

    (35 ILCS 200/16-95)
    Sec.  16-95.   Powers  and  duties of board of appeals or
review; complaints.   In  counties  with  3,000,000  or  more
inhabitants,  until  the  first  Monday in December 1998, the
board of appeals in any year shall,  on  complaint  that  any
property  is  overassessed  or  underassessed,  or is exempt,
review and order the assessment corrected.
    Beginning  the  first  Monday  in   December   1998   and
thereafter,  in  counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,
the board of review:
         (1)  shall,  on  upon  written  complaint   of   any
    taxpayer,  or any taxing district that has an interest in
    the  assessment,  that  any  property  is   overassessed,
    underassessed,  or  exempt,  review  the  assessment  and
    confirm upon good cause shown, revise, correct, alter, or
    modify the any assessment, as appears to be just (or part
    of  an  assessment) of any real property; nothing in this
    Section,  however,  shall  be  construed  to  require   a
    taxpayer to file a complaint with the board; and
         (2)  may,  upon  written  motion  of any one or more
    members of the board that is made on or before the  dates
    specified  in notices given under Section 16-110 for each
    township and upon  good  cause  shown,  revise,  correct,
    alter,   or   modify   any  assessment  (or  part  of  an
    assessment) of real property regardless  of  whether  the
    taxpayer  or  owner of the property has filed a complaint
    with the board.
         An assessment  shall  not  be  increased  until  the
    person  to  be  affected  has  been notified and given an
    opportunity to be heard. Before making any  reduction  in
    assessments  of  its  own  motion,  the  board shall give
    notice to the assessor or No assessment may be changed by
    the board on its own motion  until the taxpayer in  whose
    name  the  property  is  assessed  and  the  chief county
    assessment officer who certified the assessment have been
    notified and given, and give the assessor or chief county
    assessment officer an opportunity to  be  heard  thereon.
    All  taxing  districts  shall  have  an opportunity to be
    heard on the matter.
(Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
8-14-96.)

    (35 ILCS 200/16-125)
    Sec.  16-125.   Hearings.   In counties with 3,000,000 or
more inhabitants, complaints filed with the board of  appeals
(until  the  first  Monday  in December 1998 and the board of
review beginning  the  first  Monday  in  December  1998  and
thereafter)  shall be classified by townships. All complaints
shall be docketed numerically, in the order in which they are
presented, as  nearly  as  possible,  in  books  or  computer
records  kept for that purpose, which shall be open to public
inspection. The complaints shall be considered  by  townships
until  they  have  been  heard  and passed upon by the board.
After completing final action on all matters in  a  township,
the  board  shall  transmit  such final actions to the county
assessor.
    A hearing upon any complaint shall not be held until  the
taxpayer  affected  and  the  county  assessor have each been
notified and have been given an opportunity to be heard.  All
hearings  shall be open to the public and the board shall sit
together and  hear  the  representations  of  the  interested
parties  or their representatives.  An order for a correction
of any assessment shall not be made unless both commissioners
of the board, or a majority of the members in the case  of  a
board  of  review,  concur  therein,  in which case, an order
therefor shall be made in open session  and  entered  in  the
records   of  the  board.   When  an  assessment  is  ordered
corrected, the board shall transmit a  computer  printout  of
the  results,  or  make and sign a brief written statement of
the reason for the change and the manner in which the  method
used  by the assessor in making the assessment was erroneous,
and shall deliver a copy  of  the  statement  to  the  county
assessor.  Upon  request the board shall hear any taxpayer in
opposition to a proposed reduction in any assessment.
    The board may destroy or otherwise dispose of  complaints
and  records  pertaining  thereto after the lapse of 10 years
from the date of filing.
(Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
8-14-96.)

    (35 ILCS 200/16-160)
    Sec.  16-160.   Property  Tax  Appeal Board; process.  In
counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants,  beginning  with
assessments made for the 1996 assessment year for residential
property  of  6  units or less and beginning with assessments
made for the 1997 assessment year for all other property, and
for all property in any  county  other  than  a  county  with
3,000,000 or more inhabitants, any taxpayer dissatisfied with
the decision of a board of review or board of appeals as such
decision  pertains  to  the assessment of his or her property
for taxation  purposes,  or  any  taxing  body  that  has  an
interest  in  the decision of the board of review or board of
appeals  on  an  assessment  made  by  any  local  assessment
officer, may,  (i)  in  counties  with  less  than  3,000,000
inhabitants  within  30 days after the date of written notice
of the decision of the board of review or (ii) in  assessment
year  1999  and thereafter in counties with 3,000,000 or more
inhabitants within 30 days after the date  of  the  board  of
review notice or within 30 days after the date that the board
of  review  transmits  to  the  county  assessor  pursuant to
Section 16-125 its final action on the township in which  the
property  is  located,  whichever  is later Board of Appeals,
appeal the decision to the  Property  Tax  Appeal  Board  for
review.  In  any appeal where the board of review or board of
appeals has given  written  notice  of  the  hearing  to  the
taxpayer 30 days before the hearing, failure to appear at the
board  of review or board of appeals hearing shall be grounds
for dismissal of the appeal unless a continuance  is  granted
to  the  taxpayer.   If an appeal is dismissed for failure to
appear at a board of review or board of appeals hearing,  the
Property  Tax Appeal Board shall have no jurisdiction to hear
any subsequent appeal  on  that  taxpayer's  complaint.  Such
taxpayer  or  taxing  body, hereinafter called the appellant,
shall file a petition with the  clerk  of  the  Property  Tax
Appeal  Board,  setting  forth the facts upon which he or she
bases  the  objection,  together  with  a  statement  of  the
contentions of law which he or she desires to raise, and  the
relief  requested.  If a petition is filed by a taxpayer, the
taxpayer is  precluded  from  filing  objections  based  upon
valuation,  as  may otherwise be permitted by Sections 21-175
and 23-5.  However,  any  taxpayer  not  satisfied  with  the
decision  of  the board of review or board of appeals as such
decision pertains to the assessment of his  or  her  property
need not appeal the decision to the Property Tax Appeal Board
before seeking relief in the courts. The changes made by this
amendatory   Act  of  the  91st  General  Assembly  shall  be
effective beginning with the 1999 assessment year.
(Source: P.A. 88-455;  89-126,  eff.  7-11-95;  89-671,  eff.
8-14-96.)

    Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

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