Cook County strikes again (property taxes) (Chicago, Schaumburg: real estate, 2015, townhome)

[Kluch]

Originally Posted by RemoteInWisco

The following was my last property tax bill from Illinois (Lake County) before I moved in 2020.

https://imgur.com/R81Zedt

That was the final straw for me. I refuse to pay more in property taxes each month than the principal and interest on the actual house itself. Illinois and its merry band of kleptocrats in Springfield can go play in traffic.

That's pretty much what we said as well before hopping over the fence to Indiana. I was tired of always thinking, how am I going to make more money this year to pay for our property taxes. Surprisingly the grass was greener.

[lepoisson]

I don't mind paying taxes as long as the services are good. Most Europeans pay high taxes but in return they get excellent health coverage, a robust train system, and public transit.

In Chicago, taxes get you almost nothing except funding the bankrupt pensions that were implemented before I was born.

[Grlzrl]

Originally Posted by reneeh63

I don't care about your filing appeals but why do you think that your admittedly bigger and better house shouldn't be assessed higher than your neighbors?

I think you misread. The comps are bigger and better and have lower values.

[Grlzrl]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

I don't mind paying taxes as long as the services are good. Most Europeans pay high taxes but in return they get excellent health coverage, a robust train system, and public transit.

In Chicago, taxes get you almost nothing except funding the bankrupt pensions that were implemented before I was born.

I got a damaged tired wheel well and ruined tire (pothole) cost to me $800.
Nails in tire from road blacktopping - cost to me $500.
Car had to be parked on street while roadwork done....car hit, likely by road workers, cost to me over $800.

Here's what I am saving on in the 2 months since I moved:

$1400 two kids to ride bus
$600 in textbooks (we get books for free here)
$200 cost of laptop for two kids a year - cost here free.

AND, the laptop has nothing else on it except school stuff so I don't have to worry about my kids getting distracted to the detriment of their school work anymore.

[RemoteInWisco]

My daughter was not school age when we lived in Illinois. But I will say this much, both Wauconda and nearby Grayslake had excellent reputations as far as public schools are concerned. I had many neighbors in both school districts that had nothing but positive things to say about the schools. But so good that I need to pay 11 grand a year (and rising) in property taxes for them? Are the roads in perfect condition? Parks, other public services? Yeah, sorry, but no. For that kind of money I should be enjoying paradise on earth levels of public services.

Then you have to ask where does it all end? Will taxes ever come down? Or will I just keep paying more, and more, and more each and every year? How much of my money is enough, illinois? 20 grand a year? 30 grand? Half my income? When will it ever be enough? It is the hopelessness of Illinois' long term financial prognosis that forces you to start asking yourself these questions. My employer going fully remote last year made the decision to leave an easy one.

I really do hope the state is able to get its act together eventually, especially for the sake of so many of my close friends who are stuck there for one reason or another. But I for one am not going to sit around and watch more and more of my hard earned income get flushed down their black hole while they do. Illinois can sort things out on their own time and dime, not mine.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by Grlzrl

I got a damaged tired wheel well and ruined tire (pothole) cost to me $800.
Nails in tire from road blacktopping - cost to me $500.
Car had to be parked on street while roadwork done....car hit, likely by road workers, cost to me over $800.

Here's what I am saving on in the 2 months since I moved:

$1400 two kids to ride bus
$600 in textbooks (we get books for free here)
$200 cost of laptop for two kids a year - cost here free.

AND, the laptop has nothing else on it except school stuff so I don't have to worry about my kids getting distracted to the detriment of their school work anymore.

In 2019, I got my windshield broken by a poorly maintained tree on Lake Shore Drive and the Chicago City Council denied the Forestry division's responsibility. The windshield was cracked for months because it was a brand-new debut model with no aftermarket replacements. Ended up costing my insurance almost $2k.

[Grlzrl]

Originally Posted by RemoteInWisco

My daughter was not school age when we lived in Illinois. But I will say this much, both Wauconda and nearby Grayslake had excellent reputations as far as public schools are concerned. I had many neighbors in both school districts that had nothing but positive things to say about the schools. But so good that I need to pay 11 grand a year (and rising) in property taxes for them? Are the roads in perfect condition? Parks, other public services? Yeah, sorry, but no. For that kind of money I should be enjoying paradise on earth levels of public services.

Then you have to ask where does it all end? Will taxes ever come down? Or will I just keep paying more, and more, and more each and every year? How much of my money is enough, illinois? 20 grand a year? 30 grand? Half my income? When will it ever be enough? It is the hopelessness of Illinois' long term financial prognosis that forces you to start asking yourself these questions. My employer going fully remote last year made the decision to leave an easy one.

I really do hope the state is able to get its act together eventually, especially for the sake of so many of my close friends who are stuck there for one reason or another. But I for one am not going to sit around and watch more and more of my hard earned income get flushed down their black hole while they do. Illinois can sort things out on their own time and dime, not mine.

The thing is, as more and more people leave Illinois, the rest of you are left holding the bag. So your piece of the pie is only going to get bigger.

[Kluch]

Originally Posted by Grlzrl

The thing is, as more and more people leave Illinois, the rest of you are left holding the bag. So your piece of the pie is only going to get bigger.

Yup, leave now and spare yourself the pain!!!

[Burbmama]

We are also joining the "Leaving Illinois" club.

There is no end in sight. We are paying for decades of mismanagement. In a 20 year period, the taxes on my house have gone up 228%. We've only been here 13 years of that, but it is double when we moved in and there is no cap, no protection for the homeowners. Pritzker tried putting together a property tax committee and that was a miserable fail.

All you can do is leave, save yourself.

[Kluch]

Originally Posted by Burbmama

We are also joining the "Leaving Illinois" club.

There is no end in sight. We are paying for decades of mismanagement. In a 20 year period, the taxes on my house have gone up 228%. We've only been here 13 years of that, but it is double when we moved in and there is no cap, no protection for the homeowners. Pritzker tried putting together a property tax committee and that was a miserable fail.

All you can do is leave, save yourself.

Good for you guys. Where is the exodus taking you?