Frequently Asked Question’s (FAQ’s)
1. How much do you charge?
We charge 1/3 (33.3%) of only the first-year savings. Some of our competitors charge a lower rate, but they will charge you that rate for every year. Beware of the deceptive wording of our competitors of how much they charge! For example, some of our competitors charge 20%, but charge you for each year of a 3-year appeal. This ends up costing you almost twice as much (60%) as our fee. Other competitors charge as much as 50% of the first-year savings.
2. Do you charge me for the 2nd and 3rd year savings for an appeal won in a triennial year?
No, we don’t charge you for those years unless we find additional savings and appeal again within the tri-annual period.
3. How are we able to appeal every year even though I thought we did the triennial-year appeal which is good for 3 years?
If appealed in a triennial year, your appeal is generally good for three years. If there is still a good basis to appeal in non-triennial years you can still appeal. We have won thousands of appeals for our clients in non-triennial years.
4. Are there any upfront fees?
We have no upfront fees. We GUARANTEE that there is NO FEE of any kind, until we obtain a reduction in the assessed value of your property.
5. How long does this process take?
There are 2 stages to the property tax appeal process with Cook County: the Cook County Assessors Office, and the Cook County Board of Review. When we file at the first stage, the Cook County Assessor’s Office, the appeal process can take 8-12 weeks from the date of your township closing. The second stage is with the Cook County Board of Review. This 2nd stage can take an additional 8-12 weeks.
6. If I qualify for a refund, how long before I get a check?
If you qualify, you should receive a check in two to five months.
7. For a property tax appeal, what are my potential savings based on?
In general, your savings are based on an analysis of either comparable properties or recent sales in your area.
8. What is your success rate?
The TaxBloom Group has a 95% success rate appealing property taxes.
9. How often does my property get re-assessed?
Your property taxes are re-assessed every 3 years. (You can still appeal every year if there are savings)
10. When will I see the savings on my bill?
All exemptions and savings will be reflected on your second installment bill of the following year. For example, you will start paying your 2018 tax bill beginning with the 1st installment tax bill of 2019. The first installment bill will always be 55% of the previous year’s tax bill. The 2nd installment will reflect the savings and exemptions.
11. How often can I appeal?
You can appeal every year if there is a basis for filing.
12. Will this lower my mortgage payment?
It depends on several factors. One, is whether or not you escrow your property taxes your mortgage. There are also other factors that you will have to discuss directly with your mortgage company. For example, whether you have a current overage or deficiency in your escrow account.
In general, if you appeal you’ll always be saving money in property taxes paid as compared to not appealing at all. Your taxes can still go up from the previous year, but you will be saving money that you would have owed. In most cases your mortgage payment will be going down. Our advice is to consult with your mortgage company directly to get a better answer.
13. How are my taxes calculated?
Assessed Value x State Equalization Factor x Local Tax Rate = Total Tax Before Exemptions
14. I missed the deadline can I still appeal?
This depends on the time of the year. Please call us at (312) 280-5780 so that we can give you an accurate answer.
15. How does the county come up with the assessed value?
Assessed Values are determined by the estimated Market Value of your property. This is based on the sales of comparable properties in your neighborhood. Due to the variations in properties and the inability to account for uniqueness of each property, it’s always a good idea to appeal if there is a basis to do so.
16. Do I need to send you the original documents that you sent to me?
No, we don’t need the original documents. We prefer you to e-mail or fax the documents to us. If you do not have the means to do so, you can mail by post, but please be aware of your township’s deadline. The post office mail does get delayed at times and we are not responsible for mail received after a deadline date. That’s why we highly recommend sending it by email or fax so that we get it right away.
Why Choose The TaxBloom Group?
- Absolutely no hidden or upfront fees, unlike our competitors
- No Risk – Only pay when we win for you (official County win letter as proof)
- Your calls answered quickly by a real live person Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
- 95% success rate
- A team of property tax consultants, attorneys, appraisers, and realtors collaborating for you
- Over 25 years of experience, specializing in residential & commercial appeals
- A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- We strive to get the best possible tax savings for your property
Our Work Includes Property Tax Appeals For:
- Cook County Tax Appeals
- Cook County Board of Review
- Certificate of Errors (COE)
- Homeowners Exemptions
- Senior Citizen Exemption
- Senior Freeze Exemption
- Longtime Exemption (10 yrs. or more)
We also have a 95% Tax Refund Success Rate! We Take Pride in Returning Money That Belongs to Homeowners
In addition to appealing and reducing property taxes, we also research and find homeowners in Cook County who are entitled to receive property tax refunds due to overpaid property taxes. These amounts can vary between $600 to $10,000. That’s the good news. Whats the bad news? The bad news is that there is a time limit to recover these tax refunds. Cook County is not required to notify you of your refund. Once this deadline is missed, some or all of your property tax refund (checks) are gone forever.
This Refund Program Will Soon Expire and May Not be Extended! Can You Afford to Lose This Money?
We provide the necessary documents, resources, and expertise, so that the meetings with the various county agencies will enable us to appeal and recover your full property tax refund. Your refund check(s) are then mailed to your home, and only then do we receive a reasonable 1/3 of all property tax refund checks.
My mom mentioned using a service like this to get a tax reduction on her own home, and she is wise with her finances. When I saw the mailer from TaxBloom I was skeptical, but my husband and I discussed and I finally signed up easily online. I was able to get a $1400 reduction in my yearly tax bill. So moral of my story: I spent $467 to get $3500, 3 years of tax bill savings. Glad I went with them.
A few months ago TaxBloom sent me a letter stating that Cook County may have over charged me on my property taxes. I was skeptical thought it was a scam, so I ignored the letter. However, a few weeks later I received another letter, so I decided to give them a try. I AM SO GLAD I DID…I was over charged for the past 4 years, therefore I received 4 checks totaling over 5k. Thanks Tax Bloom!
Thank you to John Lambros from TaxBloom for his great work on our 2013 Cook County property taxes. His efforts literally eliminated a proposed 100% year- over year increase and returned the assessed value of our home to its previous level, SAVING 30K PER YEAR…
Tax bloom was wonderful to work with! I had No idea I was able to receive a refund for all the years of property taxes I was over paying. They made this so easy. Communication with them was also fantastic. They kept me updated on everything,
I used this service for a tax appeal for my mother’s home. A staff member came to her home, explained the process, and assisted her in filing the necessary papers. They were able to get her certificates of error for the 2014-2017 tax years with resulting refunds. We were happily surprised with the amount of the refunds. We intend to use TaxBloom for future tax appeals.
I am very happy with the services at TaxBloom. Throughout the process, they were informative and upfront. Needless to say, initially, I was hesitant and skeptical. In fact, I proceeded to fill the paperwork but didn’t send it in. Tax Bloom called me six months later and pretty much said why aren’t you taking advantage of this. So I swallowed my fears and the rest is history. I’m satisfied with my refund. I’m satisfied with the professional service they provided. More importantly, my future property taxes have been lowered, thus putting more money in my pocket. Try them; you won’t be disappointed.