The Assessor proposed a 2019 market value of approximately $1,744,000 for a property. The party purchased the property for approximately $1,150,000 at the end of 2018 in an arm's length, brokered transaction. The evidence tendered in support of the appeal included the following documents:

Ways employers can maintain a compliant 401(k) plan and be proactively prepared to defend their practices.

The Cook County Assessor continues his relentless vendetta against business properties in north suburban Cook County. Unprecedented assessment increases upward of 200-300% are being mailed to unsuspecting taxpayers.

The Cook County Assessor continues his relentless vendetta against business properties in north suburban Cook County. Unprecedented assessment increases upward of 200-300% are being mailed to unsuspecting taxpayers. Every property is being treated as institutional grade investment property, from mom and pop storefronts to small apartment buildings. The assumption that all properties are being leased on a triple net basis allows the Assessor to eliminate property taxes as an expense, which results in higher net incomes and allows the use of much lower capitalization rates. These low rates only allow for a return of the investment necessary to cover debt service, not a return on the investment which allows a return on owner equity. This practice is being used to greatly increase the market value of virtually every commercial and industrial property in the north and northwest suburbs. While claiming complete transparency, Freedom of Information Requests filed on behalf of taxpayers by their attorneys to determine the reason for a denial of relief, are taking upwards of 6 weeks to process, while the law requires a response in not more than 10-days. When responses do become available, a review indicates how the Assessor is manipulating data to ensure that virtually every appeal will be denied. The good news is that the Board of Review has opened a month early, in anticipation of a huge increase in the volume of appeals due to the Assessor's refusal to grant relief, even on the most meritorious cases. The Board has also disclosed that it will continue to review cases as it always has, and will grant relief on the merits of each case, without a pre-determined policy intended to find any means to deny relief to property taxpayers who could see their tax bills skyrocket due the Assessor's failure to act in a fair and equitable manner.

Chicago, IL - Golan Christie Taglia, LLP filed a complaint today in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois alleging breach of contract on behalf of Teepu Siddique, MD, faculty member of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

• New Federal Tax Laws Amend Deductibility Of Government Fines
• New EEO-1 Reporting Requirements And Salary History Ban
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Please join Golan Christie Taglia attorney, Barbara L Yong, at the SBAC Lawyers’ Community Educational Forum for Business Owners for her presentation regarding asset protection planning for business owners.

Has the value of your business property actually increased by 82% in just 3-years?

Has the value of your business property actually increased by 82% in just 3-years?

In the first three townships having a significant commercial and/or industrial tax base, (Norwood Park, Evanston and Elk Grove, the new assessor has been increasing market values by as much 50 to 300%. He claims that properties in the northern suburbs have been grossly underassessed for years, hence a 1-year catch-up was justified.

In the first three townships having a significant commercial and/or industrial tax base, (Norwood Park, Evanston and Elk Grove, the new assessor has been increasing market values by as much 50 to 300%. He claims that properties in the northern suburbs have been grossly underassessed for years, hence a 1-year catch-up was justified. Of course, no consideration was given to the jobs that will be lost as tenants and companies relocate, nor to the investors who will no longer invest in Cook County, nor to the companies that will no longer consider locating in Cook County, nor to the existing companies that will jettison their expansion plans. The same is true for owners of residential income properties that have also experienced significant increases. Who will be able to afford the higher rents that landlords will try to pass on to them? As to the homeowners, many of whom saw only minor increases, what will become of their property values if local jobs disappear and they cannot sell their houses? To date, the assessor has stubbornly refused to grant relief on a vast majority of commercial and industrial appeals, as his property valuations are apparently perfect.

In the never ending battle between the qualifying factors for receiving a charitable property tax exemption as first enunciated in the Korzen case, Methodist Old Peoples Home v. Bernard Korzen, County Treasurer, et al, 233 N.E, 2d, 537, 39 Ill.2d 149 (1968), the Illinois Supreme Court initially set forth the following criteria for successfully obtaining a property tax exemption.

In the never ending battle between the qualifying factors for receiving a charitable property tax exemption as first enunciated in the Korzen case, Methodist Old Peoples Home v. Bernard Korzen, County Treasurer, et al, 233 N.E, 2d, 537, 39 Ill.2d 149 (1968), the Illinois Supreme Court initially set forth the following criteria for successfully obtaining a property tax exemption.

• The Basics Of The Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) And What Your Business Must Do To Comply
• New Salary Minimums Proposed By The Department Of Labor (DOL) And California Requires Harassment Training For Everyone
• The Trademark Trial And Appeal Board (TTAB) Pilot Program That Could Expedite The Trademark Cancellation Process
• Golan Christie Taglia Welcomes New Litigation Attorney, Announces Partner Promotions, And Introduces A Learning Series

Chicago, IL - Golan Christie Taglia, LLP is excited to announce that Steven J. Rosenberg has joined the firm. As a successful civil and criminal litigator for over 40 years, trying over 100 cases to verdict in both state and federal courts, Steven J. Rosenberg brings extensive experience in mail and wire fraud and other white-collar crime, SEC investigations, accounting and securities fraud, complex civil litigation, medical negligence, and employment cases involving breach of contract and civil rights violations.

A board of review decision can also be appealed directly to a circuit court. It’s an option that taxpayers often overlook!

Boards of review don’t have the final say about property tax assessments, however they’re a necessary stop in the appeal process. Taxpayers who are unhappy with their board decision have two options: appeal to the state Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) as described in my Aug. 24, Sept. 12 and Nov. 27 blogs; or, file a tax objection complaint in the circuit court. You cannot file appeals in both venues. The good news is that taxpayers who miss the 30-day filing deadline for taking an appeal to the PTAB still have time to pursue the tax objection remedy.

We are pleased to announce that Steven J. Rosenberg has joined the firm. As a successful civil and criminal litigator for over 40 years, trying over 100 cases to verdict in both state and federal courts, Steve brings extensive experience in mail and wire fraud and other white collar crime, SEC investigations, accounting and securities fraud, complex civil litigation, medical negligence, and employment cases involving breach of contract and civil rights violations.

There’s a remedy for correcting errors or mistakes in a property tax assessment even after the deadline for appealing to an assessor or board of review has passed.

Mistakes happen. If a mistake occurs in the property tax process, it could be costly if not corrected. Fortunately, some errors are fixable -- even those that may have occurred in a previous year or years -- thanks to what is known as a Certificate of Error, or in property tax parlance, a C of E. When an assessment error is discovered, taxpayers can seek relief by filing a C of E with local assessing officials. However, be advised that the granting of a C of E by an assessing authority is discretionary, not mandatory.

The Illinois Condominium and Common Interest Community Ombudsperson Act (the “Act”), was enacted to “educate unit owners, condominium associations, common interest communities, boards of managers and boards of directors” on their respective rights and obligations as imposed by the governing documents, such as bylaws. In response to “anecdotal accounts of abuses” by Associations in handling enforcement of their covenants and restrictions, the stated goal of the Act is to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings in interpreting the documents, which are both costly and divisive to these kinds of communities.

Currently, SAFE Notes are used primarily within the crowdfunding realm for very new startup companies, but are also emerging in more traditional investment environments. In 2015, the SEC adopted Regulation Crowdfunding, allowing smaller, individual investors to participate in securities-backed crowdfunding. Companies are permitted to raise a maximum amount of just over $1 million through crowdfunding. More recently, the SEC has acknowledged an uptick in crowdfunding and the use of SAFE Notes. The SEC specifically warned against the use of SAFE Notes, however, arguing that they are “anything but simple or safe,” and pointing out the danger in the false sense of safety that the name may bring to even the most seasoned investing veterans.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced that in 2019 it will begin sending form letters to employers who have one or more employees whose names do not “match” the Social Security Number listed in the SSA database. There are many reasons that the name and number might not match, so employers are cautioned not to jump to conclusions based on receipt of one of these letters.

Beginning on January 1, 2019, all Illinois employers are required to reimburse employees for all expenses incurred that are “directly related to the services performed for the employer.” Reimbursable expenses are considered those for which employers have authorized the employees’ expenditure, and do not include expenses incurred due to an employee’s own negligence, normal wear and tear, or theft (unless the result of the employer’s own negligence). Employers may require employees to submit any expenditure with supporting documentation within 30 calendar days in order for the employee to receive reimbursement.

WHAT IS COLLABORATION SOFTWARE? Collaboration Software—also known as online or groupware— is designed to enhance productivity of a group of participants. It enables communications, the sharing of ideas and information, and the processing and management of files, data and documents. It can track one project or multiple projects, and can exist in cloud-enabled environments, as well as on dedicated servers.