COUNTY OF KANE. Supervisor of Assessments Geneva, Illinois Holly A. Winter, CIAO/I (630)

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1 COUNTY OF KANE COUNTY ASSESSMENT OFFICE County Government Center Mark D. Armstrong, CIAO 719 Batavia Avenue, Building C Supervisor of Assessments Geneva, Illinois Holly A. Winter, CIAO/I (630) Chief Deputy Supervisor of Assessments MEMORANDUM To: All taxpayers with properties that suffered damage due to the floods of April 2013 From: Mark D. Armstrong, Kane County Supervisor of Assessments Date: April 23, 2013 Re: Property Tax Relief for flood-damaged structures The Kane County Assessment Office is beginning the process of reassessing properties damaged by the storms that hit the county in April Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn have both declared Kane County to be a major disaster area, which triggers the disaster area reassessment provisions of the Illinois Property Tax Code. This includes Disaster Area Reassessment and the Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption. Disaster Area Reassessment Disaster Area Reassessment provides that upon the declaration of a disaster area, any portion of real property that was substantially damaged by the disaster may be eligible for reassessment upon the filing of an application with the Kane County Assessment Office. Taxpayers who believe they may be eligible for reassessment should fill out the form and return it to the Kane County Assessment Office, which will then forward the application to the respective Township Assessors. The Township Assessors may contact applicants in order to evaluate the claims; persons filing for disaster area reassessment should be prepared to show their Township Assessor evidence of the loss in the form of receipts, insurance claims, photographs, or other evidence. After the claims are processed, taxpayers will receive a notice from the Kane County Board of Review. Those properties qualifying for a revised assessment will have their assessments adjusted on a pro rata basis for the period from April 19 through the end of the year, as provided by law. Our Mission: An equitable assessment for every parcel.

2 Memorandum to taxpayers affected by the April 2013 flooding April 23, 2013 Page 2 of 2 Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption If a residential structure occupied by its owner is rebuilt following the flooding, it may qualify for the Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption. This exemption was enacted by the General Assembly in 2012, and is available this year for the first time. To be eligible for the exemption, the residential structure must: Be rebuilt within two years; and Have a square footage of no more than 110% of the prior structure. The amount of the exemption is the equalized assessed value of the structure (not including land) in the first taxable year for which the taxpayer applies for the exemption minus equalized assessed value of the structure in the year prior to the natural disaster. The taxpayer s initial application for an exemption under this Section must be made no later than the first taxable year after the residential structure is rebuilt, and the exemption shall continue at the same annual amount until the taxable year in which the property is sold or transferred to a new owner. * * * * Application forms for each of these programs are attached to this memorandum; questions on the disaster area reassessment process may be directed to the Kane County Assessment Office at (630)

3 PTAX-327 Application for the Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption Step 1: Complete applicant information Please type or print. 1 Property owner s name Street address of property (homestead) ( ) Daytime phone Send notice to (if different than above) 2 Name ( ) Daytime phone Step 2: Complete eligibility information 6 Did you rebuild a residential structure following a natural disaster? Yes No If Yes, list the date of its occurrence and describe the resulting damage or loss of property Note: Attach a valuation complaint and a copy of the building permit if the property is located in Cook County. On January 1 of the year the rebuilding described in Step 1 was completed and occupied, 7 Check your type of residence. Single-family dwelling Duplex Townhouse Condominium Other a Is the residence operated as a cooperative? Yes No b Is the residence a life care facility under the Life Care Facilities Act? Yes No c If Yes to a or b above, are you liable by contract with the owner(s) for payment of property taxes? Yes No 8 Were you the owner of record for the property or did you have a legal or equitable ownership interest in the property? Yes No Step 3: Attach proof of ownership 14 Check the type of documentation you are attaching as proof that you are the owner of record for the property or have a legal or equitable ownership interest in the property. Deed (specify type) Contract for deed Trust agreement Lease Other written instrument (please specify) Step 4: Sign below Application due date: / / 3 Write the property index number (PIN) of the property for which you are requesting a natural disaster homestead exemption. Your PIN is listed on your property tax bill or you may obtain it from the local assessing official at the address on the back of this form. If you are unable to obtain your PIN, write the legal description on Line b. a PIN b Write the legal description only if you are unable to obtain your PIN. (Attach separate sheet if needed.) 4 Describe the rebuilding on the property. 5 Write the date rebuilding was completed and occupied. 9 Did you occupy the property as your principal residence? Yes No If No, was the property vacant due to a natural disaster? Yes No 10 On January 1, were you liable for the payment of real estate taxes on the property? Yes No 11 Have you sold or transferred ownership of the property from the prior assessment year? Yes No 12 Do you already have a homestead improvement exemption on this property due to the same natural disaster for the rebuilt residential structure for which you are requesting this exemption? Yes No 13 Are you claiming the exemption as a surviving spouse of the applicant who previously qualified for the exemption? Yes No If Yes, do you permanently reside on the homestead property as of January 1 of the assessment year? Yes No Note: You may attach a separate sheet describing your specific factual situation if you answered No to any of the questions 6 through 13 in Step Write the date the written instrument was executed. 16 If known, write the date recorded and the document number from the county records. Date recorded: Recorded document number: I state that to the best of my knowledge, the information on this application is true, correct, and complete. Property owner s or authorized representative s signature PTAX-327 Front (N-12/12)

4 What is the Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption (NDHE)? The Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption is an exemption on homestead property for a rebuilt residential structure following a natural disaster occurring in the taxable year 2012 or any taxable year thereafter. The amount of the exemption is the reduction in equalized assessed value (EAV) of the residence in the first taxable year for which the taxpayer applies for an exemption minus the equalized assessed value of the residence for the taxable year prior to the taxable year in which the natural disaster occurred. The exemption continues at the same amount until the taxable year in which the property is sold or transferred. Note: Property is not eligible for the NDHE (35 ILCS 200/15-173) and the Homestead Improvement Exemption (35 ILCS 200/15-180) for the same natural disaster or catastrophic event. The property may, however, remain eligible for an additional Homestead Improvement Exemption for any separate event occurring after the property qualified for the NDHE. Who is eligible? To be eligible for an exemption, you must own or have a legal or equitable interest in the property on which a single family residence is occupied as your principal residence during the assessment year; you must be liable for payment of the real estate taxes; the residential structure must be rebuilt within 2 years after the date of the natural disaster; and the square footage of the rebuilt residential structure may not be more than 110 percent of the square footage of the original residential structure as it existed immediately prior to the natural disaster. If you are a resident of a cooperative apartment building or life care facility as defined under Section 2 of the Life Care Facilities Act, you are still eligible to receive the NDHE provided you occupy the property as your primary residence and you are General Information liable by contract with the owner(s) of record for the payment of the apportioned property taxes on the property; and an owner of record of a legal or equitable interest in the cooperative apartment building. Leasehold interest does not qualify for this exemption. Is a surviving spouse eligible? The NDHE carries over to the benefit of a surviving spouse who holds a legal or beneficial title to the homestead and permanently resides on the property. What is a natural disaster? Natural disaster means an occurrence of widespread or severe damage or loss of property resulting from any catastrophic cause including but not limited to fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, or extended period of severe inclement weather. In the case of a residential structure affected by flooding, the structure shall not be eligible for an exemption unless it is located within a local jurisdiction which is participating in the National Flood Insurance Program. A proclamation of disaster by the President of the United States or the Governor of the State of Illinois is not a prerequisite to the classification of an occurrence as a natural disaster. When should I file? Your initial Form PTAX-327, Application for the Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption, must be filed with the chief county assessment office no later than July 1 of the first taxable year after the residential structure is rebuilt or the filing date set by your county. The county s due date to file this form is printed on the front of this application. You must continue to file Form PTAX-327 every year and meet the qualifications to continue to receive the NDHE. The chief county assessment office may require you to submit additional documentation as proof for this exemption. What if I need additional assistance? If you need additional assistance, please contact the local assessing official. Phone: ( ) Mail your completed Form PTAX-327 to: Kane County Supervisor of Assessments Local assessing official Kane County 719 South Batavia Avenue, Building C IL Geneva City ZIP Date received by CCAO: CCAO action date: Official use. Do not write in this space. Assessment Information of Residence Square footage: Original residence Rebuilt residence Note: SF of original residence x 110% = maximum SF to qualify for NDHE. Approved Denied Reason for denial: PTAX-327 Back (N-12/12) First year of application: Year Year prior to natural disaster: Year Proposed increase in EAV attributable solely to rebuilt structure: EAV of rebuilt structure (no land value) EAV of original structure (no land value) Note: EAV of rebuilt structure - EAV of original structure = NDHE amount.

5 PTAX-245 Disaster Area Application for Reassessment Who should complete this form? You should complete this form to request reassessment of property under Section 13-5 of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/13-5) based on substantial damage caused by a disaster in a county that has been declared a major disaster area by the President of the United States or the Governor of the State of Illinois. Step 1: Complete the following information 1 Property owner s name Property owner s mailing address c Write the legal description of the damaged property only if you are unable to obtain your PIN. ( ) - Phone Send correspondence to (if different than above) 2 Name ( ) - Phone 3 Write the property index number (PIN) of the property for which you are requesting this disaster area reassessment. Your PIN is listed on your property tax bill or you may obtain it from your township assessor or the county assessment office. 4 Write a detailed description of the damage to your land, buildings, or other structures. (Use extra pages if necessary.) a PIN b Write the street address of the damaged property, if different than the address in item 1. Street address Step 2: Sign below I state that, to the best of my knowledge, the information contained in this application is true, correct, and complete. _ Property owner s or authorized representative s signature / / If you have any questions, please call (630) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please mail your completed Form PTAX-245 to: Kane County Assessment Office 719 South Batavia Avenue, Building C Geneva, Illinois Do not write in this space. Date received Application no. Approved Disapproved Reasons (if disapproved) Date PTAX-245 (R-5/02) This form is authorized in accordance with 35 ILCS 200/1-1 et seq. Disclosure of this information is REQUIRED. This form has been approved by the Forms Management Center. IL