State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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Public Act 91-0045

HB1327 Enrolled                                LRB9104599PTtm

    AN ACT to amend the Property Tax Code by changing Section
15-172.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

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

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

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

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