Cook County Board of Review

There’s no way I thought I could give a favorable review to a bloated, corruption-​ridden body of the Cook County administration. However, I can’t speak too poorly of them either.
Ever since I bought my house, the attorneys at the closing discovered that the square footage of land on my title did not match the county’s total. Turns out, that half the width of a public alley behind the house, 8 feet by roughly 80 feet long was included incorrectly in the county’s description. Since I bought it at the triennial assessment period, I was unprepared to contest it at the time. Three years passed and when I received my latest assessment, I took it to Maine Township, who helped me decide the right course of action. Rather than appealing my assessment, they recommended filing for a certificate of correction with the Board of Review.
Along the way, I learned a little lore about my unusual triangular-​shaped property sandwiched between two diagonally intersecting side streets. About 30 years ago, it was a public park and the alleyway was shared with the residential apartments. There may have even been an access gate at both ends of it.
Armed with a series of detailed and annotated 8×10 photos I had prepared in Illustrator, a plat of survey, and a legal description of the land, I filed in December and got a hearing notice for March.
I arrived for my hearing and I was led to a place that looked like the lobby of a courtroom reminiscent of jury duty. In the 15 or so minutes that I waited, I was impressed with the politeness of the staff.
1. An elderly man on a motorized wheelchair could not fit through the entrance. Someone helped him take care of the matter in the hallway.
2. A non-​English speaking woman came and did not have her paperwork properly filled out. A person behind the reception area looked it over and helped her get another form she had not obtained.
3. There was a cheerful attitude among the staff that made it seem not so bad at all. As they called the names, they chatted with the people until the judge was ready to hear their case. Another person sitting next to me said to the staffers, «You guys are so polite to everyone!»
Finally it was my turn and I got called in. I was expecting to meet commissioners Berrios, Houlihan & Rogers. However, the hearing room was staffed by their people who heard each case individually. I presented my binder of photos and supporting evidence. The judge, a surrogate of Brendan Houlihan, reviewed the contents and was impressed by the level of detail I had provided. Essentially, it looked like a no-​brainer on the property description. He said he will submit it to the board for review and correction. If 2 out of 3 agree, it passes.
So when I checked my mail today, I was pleased to receive a statement that confirmed my assessment on the land was reduced by nearly $ 3500, which was a 30% decrease in my 2007 assessment change, and a 6% decrease overall. And the clincher: I did it without spending a penny on a high-​powered tax attorney or donating to the Crook County re-​election fund to have my way. While the county has much wrong with it, I am proof that a regular guy CAN get a break from them.