State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ Legislation ]
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]


[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ]
[ House Amendment 002 ]

91_HB1327sam001

 










                                           LRB9104599PTpkam01

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1327

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 1327  by  replacing
 3    the title with the following:
 4        "AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Property  Tax  Code by changing
 5    Section 15-172."; and

 6    by replacing everything after the enacting  clause  with  the
 7    following:

 8        "Section 5.  The Property Tax Code is amended by changing
 9    Section 15-172 as follows:

10        (35 ILCS 200/15-172)
11        Sec.  15-172. Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead
12    Exemption.
13        (a)  This Section may be cited  as  the  Senior  Citizens
14    Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
15        (b)  As used in this Section:
16        "Applicant"   means   an  individual  who  has  filed  an
17    application under this Section.
18        "Base amount" means  the  base  year  equalized  assessed
19    value  of  the  residence  plus  the  first  year's equalized
20    assessed value of any added improvements which increased  the
21    assessed value of the residence after the base year.
 
                            -2-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1        "Base  year"  means the taxable year prior to the taxable
 2    year for which the applicant first qualifies and applies  for
 3    the  exemption  provided  that  in the prior taxable year the
 4    property was improved with a  permanent  structure  that  was
 5    occupied  as  a residence by the applicant who was liable for
 6    paying real property taxes on the property and who was either
 7    (i) an owner of record  of  the  property  or  had  legal  or
 8    equitable  interest in the property as evidenced by a written
 9    instrument or (ii) had a legal or  equitable  interest  as  a
10    lessee  in  the  parcel  of  property  that was single family
11    residence. If in any subsequent taxable year  for  which  the
12    applicant   applies  and  qualifies  for  the  exemption  the
13    equalized assessed value of the residence is  less  than  the
14    equalized  assessed value in the existing base year (provided
15    that such  equalized  assessed  value  is  not  based  on  an
16    assessed  value that results from a temporary irregularity in
17    the property that reduces the assessed value for one or  more
18    taxable  years),  then  that  subsequent  taxable  year shall
19    become the base year until a new  base  year  is  established
20    under  the  terms  of  this paragraph.  For taxable year 1999
21    only, the Chief County Assessment Officer  shall  review  (i)
22    all  taxable  years  for  which  the  applicant  applied  and
23    qualified for the exemption and (ii) the existing base year.
24    The  assessment officer shall select as the new base year the
25    year with the lowest equalized assessed value.  An  equalized
26    assessed  value  that  is  based  on  an  assessed value that
27    results from a temporary irregularity in  the  property  that
28    reduces  the  assessed  value  for  one or more taxable years
29    shall not be considered the lowest equalized assessed  value.
30    The  selected  year  shall  be the base year for taxable year
31    1999 and thereafter until a  new  base  year  is  established
32    under the terms of this paragraph.
33        "Chief   County  Assessment  Officer"  means  the  County
34    Assessor or Supervisor of Assessments of the county in  which
 
                            -3-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1    the property is located.
 2        "Equalized  assessed  value"  means the assessed value as
 3    equalized by the Illinois Department of Revenue.
 4        "Household"  means  the  applicant,  the  spouse  of  the
 5    applicant,  and  all  persons  using  the  residence  of  the
 6    applicant as their principal place of residence.
 7        "Household income"  means  the  combined  income  of  the
 8    members  of  a  household for the calendar year preceding the
 9    taxable year.
10        "Income" has the same meaning as provided in Section 3.07
11    of the Senior Citizens  and  Disabled  Persons  Property  Tax
12    Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act.
13        "Internal  Revenue  Code of 1986" means the United States
14    Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor  law  or  laws
15    relating  to  federal  income  taxes  in  effect for the year
16    preceding the taxable year.
17        "Life care facility  that  qualifies  as  a  cooperative"
18    means  a  facility  as  defined in Section 2 of the Life Care
19    Facilities Act.
20        "Residence"  means  the  principal  dwelling  place   and
21    appurtenant  structures used for residential purposes in this
22    State occupied  on  January  1  of  the  taxable  year  by  a
23    household  and  so much of the surrounding land, constituting
24    the parcel upon which the dwelling place is situated,  as  is
25    used for residential purposes. If the Chief County Assessment
26    Officer  has  established  a specific legal description for a
27    portion of property constituting  the  residence,  then  that
28    portion  of  property  shall  be deemed the residence for the
29    purposes of this Section.
30        "Taxable year" means the calendar year  during  which  ad
31    valorem  property  taxes  payable in the next succeeding year
32    are levied.
33        (c)  Beginning in taxable year 1994,  a  senior  citizens
34    assessment  freeze  homestead  exemption  is granted for real
 
                            -4-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1    property that is improved with a permanent structure that  is
 2    occupied  as  a residence by an applicant who (i) is 65 years
 3    of age or older during the taxable year, (ii) has a household
 4    income of $35,000 or less, (iii) is liable  for  paying  real
 5    property  taxes  on  the  property,  and  (iv) is an owner of
 6    record of the property or has a legal or  equitable  interest
 7    in  the  property  as evidenced by a written instrument. This
 8    homestead exemption shall also apply to a leasehold  interest
 9    in  a  parcel of property improved with a permanent structure
10    that is a single family  residence  that  is  occupied  as  a
11    residence  by  a  person  who (i) is 65 years of age or older
12    during the taxable year,  (ii)  has  a  household  income  of
13    $35,000  or  less,  (iii)  has a legal or equitable ownership
14    interest in the property as lessee, and (iv)  is  liable  for
15    the payment of real property taxes on that property.
16        The  amount  of  this  exemption  shall  be the equalized
17    assessed value of the residence in the taxable year for which
18    application is made minus the base amount.
19        When the applicant is a surviving spouse of an  applicant
20    for  a  prior  year  for  the  same  residence  for  which an
21    exemption under this Section has been granted, the base  year
22    and  base  amount  for that residence are the same as for the
23    applicant for the prior year.
24        Each year at the time the assessment books are  certified
25    to  the County Clerk, the Board of Review or Board of Appeals
26    shall give to the County Clerk a list of the assessed  values
27    of  improvements on each parcel qualifying for this exemption
28    that were added after the base year for this parcel and  that
29    increased the assessed value of the property.
30        In  the  case of land improved with an apartment building
31    owned and operated as a cooperative or a building that  is  a
32    life  care  facility  that  qualifies  as  a cooperative, the
33    maximum reduction from the equalized assessed  value  of  the
34    property  is  limited to the sum of the reductions calculated
 
                            -5-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1    for each unit occupied as a residence by a person or  persons
 2    65  years  of age or older with a household income of $35,000
 3    or less who is liable, by contract with the owner  or  owners
 4    of record, for paying real property taxes on the property and
 5    who is an owner of record of a legal or equitable interest in
 6    the  cooperative  apartment  building, other than a leasehold
 7    interest. In the instance of a cooperative where a  homestead
 8    exemption   has   been   granted   under  this  Section,  the
 9    cooperative association or its management firm  shall  credit
10    the  savings  resulting  from  that  exemption  only  to  the
11    apportioned  tax liability of the owner who qualified for the
12    exemption.  Any person who willfully refuses to  credit  that
13    savings to an owner who qualifies for the exemption is guilty
14    of a Class B misdemeanor.
15        When  a  homestead  exemption has been granted under this
16    Section and  an  applicant  then  becomes  a  resident  of  a
17    facility  licensed  under  the  Nursing  Home  Care  Act, the
18    exemption shall be granted in subsequent years so long as the
19    residence (i) continues  to  be  occupied  by  the  qualified
20    applicant's  spouse or (ii) if remaining unoccupied, is still
21    owned by the qualified applicant for the homestead exemption.
22        Beginning January 1, 1997, when an  individual  dies  who
23    would have qualified for an exemption under this Section, and
24    the  surviving spouse does not independently qualify for this
25    exemption because of age, the exemption  under  this  Section
26    shall be granted to the surviving spouse for the taxable year
27    preceding  and  the taxable year of the death, provided that,
28    except  for  age,  the  surviving  spouse  meets  all   other
29    qualifications  for  the granting of this exemption for those
30    years.
31        When married persons maintain  separate  residences,  the
32    exemption provided for in this Section may be claimed by only
33    one of such persons and for only one residence.
34        For  taxable year 1994 only, in counties having less than
 
                            -6-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1    3,000,000 inhabitants, to receive  the  exemption,  a  person
 2    shall submit an application by February 15, 1995 to the Chief
 3    County Assessment Officer of the county in which the property
 4    is   located.    In   counties   having   3,000,000  or  more
 5    inhabitants, for taxable year 1994 and all subsequent taxable
 6    years, to receive the  exemption,  a  person  may  submit  an
 7    application  to  the  Chief  County Assessment Officer of the
 8    county in which the property is located during such period as
 9    may be specified by the Chief County Assessment Officer.  The
10    Chief County Assessment Officer in counties of  3,000,000  or
11    more   inhabitants   shall   annually   give  notice  of  the
12    application period by mail or by  publication.   In  counties
13    having   less  than  3,000,000  inhabitants,  beginning  with
14    taxable year 1995 and thereafter, to receive the exemption, a
15    person shall submit an application by July 1 of each  taxable
16    year  to the Chief County Assessment Officer of the county in
17    which the property is located.  A county may,  by  ordinance,
18    establish  a  date  for  submission  of  applications that is
19    different than July 1. The applicant shall  submit  with  the
20    application  an  affidavit of the applicant's total household
21    income, age, marital status (and  if  married  the  name  and
22    address  of  the applicant's spouse, if known), and principal
23    dwelling place of members of the household on  January  1  of
24    the  taxable year. The Department shall establish, by rule, a
25    method for verifying the  accuracy  of  affidavits  filed  by
26    applicants  under  this  Section.  The  applications shall be
27    clearly  marked  as  applications  for  the  Senior  Citizens
28    Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
29        Notwithstanding any other provision to the  contrary,  in
30    counties  having  fewer  than  3,000,000  inhabitants,  if an
31    applicant fails to file  the  application  required  by  this
32    Section in a timely manner and this failure to file is due to
33    a  mental  or physical condition sufficiently severe so as to
34    render the applicant incapable of filing the application in a
 
                            -7-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1    timely manner, the Chief County Assessment Officer may extend
 2    the filing deadline  for  a  period  of  30  days  after  the
 3    applicant regains the capability to file the application, but
 4    in  no  case  may  the  filing  deadline be extended beyond 3
 5    months of the original filing deadline.  In order to  receive
 6    the extension provided in this paragraph, the applicant shall
 7    provide  the  Chief  County  Assessment Officer with a signed
 8    statement from the applicant's physician stating  the  nature
 9    and  extent  of  the  condition,  that,  in  the  physician's
10    opinion,  the  condition  was  so severe that it rendered the
11    applicant incapable of filing the  application  in  a  timely
12    manner,  and  the  date  on  which the applicant regained the
13    capability to file the application.
14        Beginning January  1,  1998,  notwithstanding  any  other
15    provision  to  the  contrary,  in  counties having fewer than
16    3,000,000 inhabitants, if an  applicant  fails  to  file  the
17    application  required  by this Section in a timely manner and
18    this failure to file is due to a mental or physical condition
19    sufficiently severe so as to render the  applicant  incapable
20    of  filing  the  application  in  a  timely manner, the Chief
21    County Assessment Officer may extend the filing deadline  for
22    a  period  of  3  months.   In order to receive the extension
23    provided in this paragraph, the applicant shall  provide  the
24    Chief  County Assessment Officer with a signed statement from
25    the applicant's physician stating the nature  and  extent  of
26    the  condition,  and  that,  in  the physician's opinion, the
27    condition was  so  severe  that  it  rendered  the  applicant
28    incapable of filing the application in a timely manner.
29        In counties having less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, if an
30    applicant  was  denied  an exemption in taxable year 1994 and
31    the denial occurred due  to  an  error  on  the  part  of  an
32    assessment  official,  or  his or her agent or employee, then
33    beginning in taxable year 1997 the applicant's base year, for
34    purposes of determining the amount of the exemption, shall be
 
                            -8-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1    1993 rather than 1994. In addition, in taxable year 1997, the
 2    applicant's exemption shall also include an amount  equal  to
 3    (i)  the  amount  of any exemption denied to the applicant in
 4    taxable year 1995 as a result  of  using  1994,  rather  than
 5    1993,  as  the  base  year,  (ii) the amount of any exemption
 6    denied to the applicant in taxable year 1996 as a  result  of
 7    using 1994, rather than 1993, as the base year, and (iii) the
 8    amount  of  the exemption erroneously denied for taxable year
 9    1994.
10        For purposes of this Section, a person  who  will  be  65
11    years  of  age  during  the  current  taxable  year  shall be
12    eligible to apply for the  homestead  exemption  during  that
13    taxable   year.    Application   shall  be  made  during  the
14    application period in effect for the county  of  his  or  her
15    residence.
16        The  Chief  County  Assessment  Officer may determine the
17    eligibility of a life  care  facility  that  qualifies  as  a
18    cooperative  to receive the benefits provided by this Section
19    by use  of  an  affidavit,  application,  visual  inspection,
20    questionnaire,  or other reasonable method in order to insure
21    that  the  tax  savings  resulting  from  the  exemption  are
22    credited by  the  management  firm  to  the  apportioned  tax
23    liability  of  each  qualifying  resident.   The Chief County
24    Assessment Officer may  request  reasonable  proof  that  the
25    management firm has so credited that exemption.
26        Except  as  provided  in  this  Section,  all information
27    received by  the  chief  county  assessment  officer  or  the
28    Department  from  applications  filed  under this Section, or
29    from any investigation conducted under the provisions of this
30    Section, shall be confidential, except for official  purposes
31    or  pursuant  to  official  procedures  for collection of any
32    State or local tax or enforcement of any  civil  or  criminal
33    penalty  or sanction imposed by this Act or by any statute or
34    ordinance imposing a State  or  local  tax.  Any  person  who
 
                            -9-            LRB9104599PTpkam01
 1    divulges  any  such  information  in  any  manner,  except in
 2    accordance with a proper judicial order, is guilty of a Class
 3    A misdemeanor.
 4        Nothing contained  in  this  Section  shall  prevent  the
 5    Director  or  chief county assessment officer from publishing
 6    or making  available  reasonable  statistics  concerning  the
 7    operation of the exemption contained in this Section in which
 8    the  contents of claims are grouped into aggregates in such a
 9    way that information contained in any individual claim  shall
10    not be disclosed.
11        (d)  Each  Chief County Assessment Officer shall annually
12    publish a notice of availability of  the  exemption  provided
13    under  this  Section.  The notice shall be published at least
14    60 days but no more than 75 days prior to the date  on  which
15    the  application  must  be  submitted  to  the  Chief  County
16    Assessment  Officer  of  the  county in which the property is
17    located.  The notice shall appear in a newspaper  of  general
18    circulation in the county.
19    (Source:  P.A.  89-62,  eff.  1-1-96;  89-426,  eff.  6-1-96;
20    89-557,  eff.  1-1-97;  89-581,  eff.  1-1-97;  89-626,  eff.
21    8-9-96;  90-14,  eff.  7-1-97;  90-204, eff. 7-25-97; 90-523,
22    eff. 11-13-97; 90-524,  eff.  1-1-98;  90-531,  eff.  1-1-98;
23    90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)

24        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
25    becoming law.".

[ Top ]