$25.4M in Cook County property tax refunds to be issued automatically

CHICAGO - More than $25 million in property tax refunds will be sent over the next few weeks to Cook County homeowners who have overpaid.

The refunds, totaling $25.4 million, will be sent automatically to 11,500 homeowners who have made overpayments on their First Installment taxes, according to a statement from the Cook County treasurer’s office.

Overpayments often result from a reduction in property taxes after the bill is paid, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

Refund checks are being sent to 5,484 homeowners who paid taxes through a bank or mortgage escrow, while 5,137 homeowners who paid by check or online are automatically having the refunds credited to their bank or credit card accounts. A refund application will be mailed to 808 homeowners who paid in cash, to ensure the proper party receives the refund.

Taxpayers can see if they are entitled to refunds by visiting the treasurer’s office website at CookCountyTreasurer.com, clicking the purple "Your Property Tax Overview" box and entering their address or Property Index Number.

Almost 4,000 refunds go to homeowners who are receiving property tax exemptions, Pappas said. The value of those exemptions is applied to the Second Installment tax bill, reducing the total taxes due.

Pappas said she has tried to make homeowners aware of potential exemptions as she attends community events throughout Chicago and suburban Cook County.

SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES FROM FOX 32 NEWS

"The outreach efforts of my office, along with the Black and Latino Houses Matter program, are helping homeowners become more aware of how they can reduce their property tax burden," Pappas said in the statement.

Second Installment 2020 property taxes are due Friday, Oct. 1, the treasurer’s office said.