10/16/24 UPDATE: We had to reset emails, vmail and web forms
A county screw up that slammed our office but we have a fix!
Each year there are 2 agencies that open about 6 months apart. When the 2nd one OPENED they emailed owners in all 38 townships at once in error basically saying "We're OPEN" owners took that as "It's time to file my appeal, where is my appeal package!?" It took them more than 4 days to correct that email saying they will begin opening townships a couple at a time over the next 6 months. We put that email on our homepage for awhile. The damage was done, it slammed us with 1,122 vmail, email and web inquiries. There were many customers with questions or referrals in between left waiting. Now, as luck would have it, the two largest counties do happen to be open at that same time. This is Jefferson and Lake View, each of them count for one half of the City of Chicago. This is the year Chicago owners get whacked with new values so as you can imagine owners are Super Pissed and rightfully so! There is no staff I could possibly hire and train to talk to each person needing help within the 30 day appeal window. We simply would never catch up for those wanting to talk to a human or receive a Free Evaluation call from us. We have a solution. We had to reset and start fresh. Going forward, we need you and your referrals to rely on the system that has kept us the highest rated, fastest growing and lowest priced company in this industry. To help us do that we suggest SKIPPING the Free Evaluation and going straight to the SIGN ME UP page (above). The top paragraph on that page states that upon putting your property into our quarter-million dollar Research Database, if it does NOT find enough evidence to warrant a reduction, we will process a refund. That simple. If you really need to talk to someone know that it could be awhile and it may not happen before a pressing deadline. Now would also probably be a good time to mention we triage all inquiries when we are busier than normal, putting off replies from areas that are NOT open until those townships are open or closer to opening. We have to focus on the OPEN areas first. You and your property will receive the same attention when we get there. When will your township open? The county has a list of 38 townships on the wall, when they put a DATE next to yours, it's OPEN and that's the deadline date. We watch that for you, we ALERT you when it's open, and ARM you with an evidence file you UPLOAD to the county when it's time. Unless you take our Premium Service so we can do it for you (see Sign Me Up Page for details). The Chat Box on the bottom right is now the best way to reach a human if you must. If you do not get a quick response, you will get one in your email in the next 1 or 2 business days. PHOTO: Me and Mom doing a Property Tax Appeal talk on AM Radio! Those were the days!
If you appeal and WIN, when will you see savings?
If you START FIGHTING your property taxes, when will you see savings?
In Cook County property tax bills come out one year late, why? Two reasons, first because they warn you with a Reassessment Notice (a document many do NOT see because it goes to their mortgage company and they toss it, they don't care. They will just skyrocket your mortgage when higher property taxes hit). The letter is officially called a Notice of Proposed Assessed Value, it's basically a "Warning Letter". It shows what your OLD property tax value and the NEW taxable value the next 3 years unless you FIGHT it within 30 days. Example: If you fight 2024 property taxes and get a WIN at either the Assessor's Office, the Board of Review or both, the reduced property tax value would show on the 2024 2nd Installment which arrives the following year 2025 usually in July! The county uses a Mass Appraisal Process to pick your new tax value every 3 years and if it was fair, we would NOT be in business. Many companies and attorneys gouge you for 33-50% of whatever they save you. TIP: Read the small print. Aside from a percentage of your "reductions" they also do not say "percentage of reduction in *dollars* it's reduction in Assessed Value. Many people think they get screwed here. When they paid someone to help, wrote them a huge check for what they were told was a WIN and then get a tax bill that climbs 30% 5 months later. They were unaware they signed their contract in a reassessment year (the county hiked their property tax value), tax payers aren't aware because while the value is on record a year before they don't see it until the tax bill follows a year later. They were paid to soften an increase, not to lower tax dollars. The other two years of an assessment cycle you can fight to go "dollars downward". They also get a percentage of "refund" checks. TIP: Their contract doesn't mention the word "refunds" it says "Certificates of Error" the county term for a document that becomes a refund. This is why their contracts state you pay on receipt of a decision letter, not when you see the bill. Go figure, clever, aren't they? We do not have any contracts, you are most safe with us especially in the reassessment year when the competition makes a killing by gouging you for a percentage. The whole system is designed and setup to get your money. We help your family keep it in your bank instead of theirs. There are 15 more enlightening questions on our FAQ's page HERE! You can spend a day on our website educating yourself and all owners should. The best decision is an informed decision.
We have a YouTube channel and it's a GOLDMINE especially for newbies! Please SUBSCRIBE!
Our YouTube Channel has plenty of great things. Our most popular video "Dirty Little Secrets of your Property Tax Lawyer" (now pinned to the top of this page) is also one of our most enlightening videos for those who have shelled out tons of cash to lawyers for property tax relief in the past. The best thing you could do now is SHARE it! The channel also address concerns and questions homeowners have about fighting their property taxes. Such as Description Errors like UNFINISHED BASEMENT (when they have a finished basement). They think they are getting the basement for free so they STAY QUIET. What they don't know is that BASEMENTS (even when furnished are NEVER included in square footage, surprise! It is one of many ways the county pulls the wool over the eyes of taxpayers. Tell your friends our Channel is WeChopPropTaxes you can use the link here: https://www.youtube.com/user/WeChopPropTaxes/videos
We will continue to work from home, sorry...
Their are ton of reasons behind this business decision, including but not limited to; Chicago constantly raising minimum wage by $1 every year, currently $15.40/hr. This is "minimum wage" in Chicago. Teenagers at McDonalds get that, you won't get Professional Office Assistants for that rate. Plus 95% of job applicants are requesting a work from home position, apparently no one wants to work in an office any more. On the healthcare side of things, we are a small office with thousands of customers. Like many companies we realized we don't really need an office since Covid. Before Covid, we had a customer come in coughing who gave ALL OF US pneumonia, closing us completely for 2 weeks.
Additionally, since the county now forces users to register on their website and receive a test email before uploading their appeal, the office is no longer as beneficial as it was in the past. We know this will likely bring dismay to our senior citizens and non-computer savvy customers. Our advice would be to let a teenager help you get your appeal done online, like most of our clients do. One customer told us his 8 year old followed our Appeal Package! We will continue to focus on improvements. Rest assured everything can be done online, over the phone and via email since property taxes are public record. Please understand our phones get extremely busy near township Appeal Deadlines and around Tax Bill arrival and due dates.
3 Steps Away From Kickin' The County's Butt.
Step 1. Enter Address for a FREE EVALUATION (below) but WAIT! There's a few GOOD REASONS to SKIP our FREE EVALUATION!
Step 2. Check our References. You heard it right, we're 5 Stars EVERYWHERE! 5 Stars on Yelp, 5 Stars on Facebook, 5 Stars on Google and A+BBB Rating!
Step 2. Check our References. You heard it right, we're 5 Stars EVERYWHERE! 5 Stars on Yelp, 5 Stars on Facebook, 5 Stars on Google and A+BBB Rating!
1. If you were just dealt a CRAZY new Property Tax Value, just SIGN UP because if you don't FIGHT IT you ACCEPT IT. Remember we have a LOW, FLAT fee, your costs will NOT CHANGE whether we save you a $1,000 or $3,000!
2. Unless you prefer a phone call.
3. On deadline days we often get over 500 voicemails. We do not have the time to call them all back on the deadline day.
Step 2. Check our References. You heard it right, we're 5 Stars EVERYWHERE! 5 Stars on Yelp, 5 Stars on Facebook, 5 Stars on Google and A+BBB Rating!
Step 2. Check our References. You heard it right, we're 5 Stars EVERYWHERE! 5 Stars on Yelp, 5 Stars on Facebook, 5 Stars on Google and A+BBB Rating!
Step 2. Check our References. You heard it right, we're 5 Stars EVERYWHERE! 5 Stars on Yelp, 5 Stars on Facebook, 5 Stars on Google and A+BBB Rating!
Don't take our word for it, see VIDEO TESTIMONIALS and take theirs! Many receive Property Tax Refund CHECKS! You will see one who took $5,000 back from the county! With us you keep 100% of all REDUCTIONS and REFUNDS! Our competition gouges you for 33-50% of BOTH.
Step 3. Sign Up and Start Stickin' It to the Man! The Man whose been Stickin' It to You!
Step 2. Check our References. You heard it right, we're 5 Stars EVERYWHERE! 5 Stars on Yelp, 5 Stars on Facebook, 5 Stars on Google and A+BBB Rating!
Step 3. Sign Up and Start Stickin' It to the Man! The Man whose been Stickin' It to You!
Get ALERTED when Appeal Windows OPEN!
Get ARMED with EVIDENCE for your Appeal!
1 Year of Service $175 flat fee.
3 Years of Service $275 flat fee.
(Saves 40% Averages $75/Year)
Premium Service ADD-ON
so we can FILE FOR YOU just $99.
Robo Deadline Dialer ADD-ON calls 2 phone numbers so spouses can't blame each other when appeals get missed.
It saves a lot of butts for just $24.