Milton Township
How do I appeal my assessment?
First, you should decide how much you believe your property is worth. There are a number of ways to do this:- Use a recent appraisal of your home.
- Research recent sales of similar homes (you can do this at the Assessor's office's public terminal, or in our Online Database.
- Consult a realtor for an opinion of value.
Once you have formed an opinion of what your property is worth, you can compare it to your assessment. Multiplying your assessment by 3 gives you an idea of the market value the Assessor has assigned to your property. If the result is higher than what you think your property is worth, or if you think it is out of line with the assessments of comparable homes in your area, then you should contact the Assessor's Office to speak with a Deputy Assessor about your assessment. If after discussing your assessment you still disagree with our market value or our conclusions, you have the right to appeal your assessment to the DuPage Board of Review. For more details, see the "appeals" section of the Property Assessment Process page.
I've recently added an improvement to my home; how do I apply for the Home Improvement Exemption (HIE)?
As long as you have taken out a permit for the work and own and occupy your home, you will be automatically granted the Home Improvement Exemption.
No formal application is necessary. The Home Improvement Exemption
exempts the assessed value of the improvement you have made to your
home for four years; the maximum total HIE amount any home can have at one time
is $25,000.
- It's important to remember that the Assessor's Office assesses property; it does not calculate or collect your property tax
bill. Assessments are based on market value and uniformity, meaning
that similar homes in the same area should have similar assessments.
However, this does not automatically mean that those same homes will
have similar tax bills. There are many reasons why tax bills may
vary, even among similar homes:
-
The homes may be in the same vicinity, but in different
tax districts with different rates.
- One home may have exemptions the other does not, such as the
Home Improvement Exemption, the Seniors' Exemption, or the
Seniors' Assessment Freeze.
-
In a new subdivision, one home may be on a prorated
assessment (based on the date of the occupancy permit) while
another is already on a full year's assessed value.
- Even if both homes appear similar, there may still be an underlying difference in assessment due to actual differences between the properties, such as style, age, living area, lot size, condition, et al.
How does the condition of my house affect its
market value?
Problems with structural condition can affect market value.
Since the Assessor's Office must perform mass-appraisal of over
40,000 parcels, it is impossible to physically inspect each home
during the reassessment process; thus, all homes are assessed as
if they are in at least average condition. However, if you feel
that your home has a serious structural condition problem, please
contact our office to discuss the situation. By speaking with one
of our Deputy Assessors, you can determine whether the condition
problem is serious enough to affect the assessment; you can also
find out if your home's condition is already reflected in your assessment.
Keep in mind that minor, cosmetic problems will usually not impact
your assessment.
If the Property Tax Cap is still in effect, how can my assessment keep going up?
The Property Tax Cap limits the levy increases of taxing bodies to 5% per year or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. However, the Property Tax Cap does not limit increases in assessments.
As market values increase, assessments must increase to keep pace and comply with statute. This assessment process is completely separate and distinct from the property tax process that actually determines your tax rate and tax bill.
Note that, though assessments may increase each year, the driving force behind increases in your tax bill is the increasing budgets of local taxing bodies. While the Property Tax Cap theoretically limits these increases, the cap can be bypassed by local referendums. Additionally, new construction is not subject to the cap and can be levied against at a different rate.
In the end, an increase in assessments in your area does not automatically trigger higher tax bills; typically, it is levy and budget increases by the taxing bodies that serve your area that determine any increase in your property tax.
How is living area calculated?
Living area is the full livable square-footage that lies above-grade in a home.
The Milton Township Assessor calculates living area based on the home's ground area (the "footprint" of the home, its foundation area). Ground area, in turn, is determined from exterior measurements of each 1-story, 1.5-story, and 2-story section of a home. For example, a 2-story section that has exterior measurements of 30' x 40' would have 1,200 square feet of ground area (30' x 40' = 1,200 SF); since this section of the home is a 2-story, we simply double the ground area to determine the living area to be 2,400 square feet (1,200 SF x 2 = 2,400 SF).
Finished basement areas are not figured into a home's living area, although it is assessed separately as an amenity to the home.
Please note that living area is not used in arriving at the actual assessment of a home. The Milton Township Assessor calculates building values based on ground area only; living area is only used as a general point of comparison between homes, never as a basis for calculating the assessment amount.