Riverdale homeowner's nearly $17K tax bill raises questions about Cook County assessments
Riverdale homeowner's nearly $17K property tax bill draws scrutiny of Cook County assessments
Tatiana Squire, a single mother in Riverdale, says a property tax bill of more than $16,000 has turned her dream of homeownership into a financial crisis.
RIVERDALE - There has been widespread reaction across the nation after we first introduced the story of Tatiana Squire, a single mother of two young sons who says her dream of homeownership has become a financial crisis.
"This is our home… they are happy here," Squire said.
She purchased the Riverdale home for her family, but says the situation changed dramatically when she opened her property tax bill showing more than $16,000 owed.
The bill, she says, has placed severe strain on her household. A comparable suburban home — a nearly million-dollar, five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath property — carries a tax bill approaching $18,000, highlighting the scale of the assessment in question.
The backstory:
Three months ago on "The Chicago Report," we spoke with Patrick Hynes in a debate over Cook County property assessments. Hynes, who defeated incumbent Assessor Fritz Kaegi in the Lyons Township race and is expected to become the next Cook County Assessor after the general election, pointed to broader concerns with assessment data.
"I met someone whose assessment went up 500%," Hynes said.
He argued the current system produces unreliable results.
"Right now, the data that’s used to produce the assessment creates an unjust result. And so the garbage data that the county assessor has that they’re putting through their remodeling does not produce a credible result on the other side. Taxpayers know this. They’re very frustrated with the results that are coming out of the office, the tax bills that they receive," he said.
In response to Squire’s case, we consulted engineer Vaughn Harrison, who reviewed Cook County Assessor data and ran independent calculations to better understand the property’s valuation.
He created a visual analysis using assessor data and statistical methods to identify what he believes may be an error, and says he plans to help Squire pursue a certificate of error to challenge the assessment.
"The standard says when you see an outlier like Ms. Tatiana’s bill, you should be investigating. The data makes it very clear. Her property is far outside these statistical norms. We look at something called a Z score. The Z score is the measure of standard deviations—how far this property is away from the center, the mean, the average," he explained.
The Cook County Assessor’s Office says that in determining the Riverdale property’s value, analysts reviewed sales data and comparable properties, as well as recent nearby sales, to establish fair market value. Officials also note they are legally required to assess properties at fair market value.
They added there were at least three sales of recently renovated properties near the home, and all three were included in the 2023 reassessment tax rolls.
What's next:
Squire says the financial pressure has become overwhelming. She says she was advised to miss several mortgage payments in order to qualify for assistance from her lender — a situation she says now keeps her up at night.
"I am depressed because I don't want to give up my house," she said.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Tia Ewing.