Bremen Township Assessor Appeal Deadline is August 21, 2025

O'Connor discusses that the Bremen Township assessor appeal deadline is on August 21, 2025.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, August 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ --


The 2023 reassessment of Cook County was a watershed moment for the people of Chicago and Illinois at large. When the Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) was through with their triennial sweep of Chicago’s southern areas, devastation for taxpayers was widespread. Some property owners saw assessed value hikes as high as 700%. Average spikes were between 30-50%, which alone made many homes unaffordable. As many of the townships were home to working families and middle-class people, this led to accusations of gentrification and saw many families sell their homes or lose them outright. Businesses were hit equally hard, forcing many to shutter their doors.

The response from taxpayers to this was swift. Property tax appeals hit an all-time high, while many futile attempts were made to fix the problem legislatively. Even the CCAO was forced to encourage people to protest their taxes. Soon, it was discovered that many errors were also plaguing the southern areas, such as empty lots being valued the same as mansions. The 2023 reassessment proved that CCAO could not be trusted in their assessments or in their policies. Seeing what happened, other areas waiting their turn to be assessed panicked, leading to more appeals being filed.

Bremen Township was one of many communities that saw massive jumps in property values thanks to the 2023 reassessment. Thanks to the bevy of appeals, 2024 property values managed to stay steady or retreat a bit, restoring a sense of normalcy. 2025 looks to be following suit, thankfully for taxpayers across the township. The downside is that reassessment is looming in 2026. The problems that caused the 2023 disaster are all still around and parts of Cook County that have gone through assessment in the intervening years likewise saw massive jumps. O’Connor will discuss where property values stand and how taxpayers can use appeals to be ready for 2026.

Appeals Counter Reassessment

There are only two ways to reduce taxable value in Illinois, exemptions and appeals. These two are ideally used in tandem to keep taxes as low and honest as possible. Once filed, exemptions protect a property every year automatically. Property tax appeals were once used to only protest huge spikes, but they are now trending to be an annual occurrence. This proactive approach has proved to be the best and many experts, even in government, suggest that Cook County taxpayers protest annually. This may not lead to reductions, but it ensures that the basics of a property are correct.

Annual appeals also establish a baseline value that is certified by the CCAO or Board of Review (BOR). This gives a taxpayer in Bremen Township a historical record to use in future appeals, especially against the inflated ones that follow triennial reassessments. Once a firm foundation has been built, it is easier to protect against future spikes, which makes every following appeal that much easier. Also, evidence put together in one year can be rolled forward in the future, saving time and money.

Value spikes are not limited to assessment years either. Thanks to the equalization factor and market changes, property owners can see strong shifts every year. This goes even more for tax bills, which can be inflated by both equalization and higher tax rates. Tax rates are raised by government bodies that need funding, notably school districts, which can cause tax bills to jump with little warning. While appeals cannot stop tax rate changes, a lower assessed value means there is a lower base to charge taxes on. Much like Cicero in 2023, Bremen Township was able to use appeals in 2024 and 2025 to keep property values stable. Time will tell if this will roll forward into 2026.

Home Values Show Modest Increase

In 2024, Bremen Township saw a few categories of homes drop in value thanks to appeals. In 2025, it appears that there were some minor increases across the board. The total value of homes was assessed at $7.40 billion, an increase of 1% from 2024. The largest source of this value was homes worth less than $250,000, which totaled $4.91 billion. These modest homes added only 0.2% to their value. In second place were homes worth between $250,000 and $500,000. These residences grew 1% to total $2.34 billion.

Homes assessed from $500,000 to $750,000 saw the largest increase in percentage and value, growing 6% to $121.03 million. The only other category of residences to see growth were those worth between $750,000 and $1 million, which grew by 7%, though this did not add much to the total. The largest homes available did not show any measurable growth, a true rarity for Cook County. In 2024, homes worth between $1 million and $1.5 million had skyrocketed by 57.5%, so 2025 brought some relief to these elite homeowners.

Commercial Property Rises 5%

The CCAO has claimed that they will attempt to place the burden of increases more on businesses than homeowners, a policy they came up with when reports surfaced of appeals greatly favoring commercial properties. This seems to be mostly true and commercial properties across Cook County have been moving upward at a greater clip than residential ones. This is true in Breman Township as well, as the commercial total added 5% in 2025, reaching a total value of $1.35 billion. This is roughly on-par with the increases that Breman businesses saw in 2024.

The brunt of the increases was on the largest businesses, which is typical for Illinois. Commercial properties worth over $1.5 million increased 9.7%, totaling $687.73 million. Since they account for half of all value, this increase was felt the most in the community and on the balance sheets. The next two tiers of businesses each added 3% to their value. Smaller businesses saw only tiny increases, with those worth between $500,000 and $750,000 seeing an uptick of .30%. Those worth between $250,000 and $500,000 only added .47%. Commercial property worth less than $250,000 saw a reduction of 1%, something that is usually rarer than hen’s teeth.

Deadline for Assessor Appeals is August 21, 2025

In Illinois, property tax appeals come in two varieties. Informal appeals are those taken directly to the township assessor, or the CCAO in the case of Cook County. These are quick protests that can often fix glaring errors. The other is formal appeals to the BOR, which are more organized hearings in front of a neutral tribunal that decides between taxpayers and the CCAO. Outside of Cook County, these share the same deadline, but the Chicago area uses two separate ones, giving taxpayers two unique shots.

The informal deadline is set for August 21, 2025. While the BOR is now the favored appeal destination, informal appeals can pay big dividends. They also require less effort and evidence. If an informal appeal is denied, it can still be taken before the BOR at a later date. Many taxpayers first roll the dice with the CCAO before escalating to the BOR and this can be used to maximize savings in many cases. If taxpayers miss the current deadline, they will have to wait for the BOR dates, which have yet to be announced. These are often months later, meaning a long wait.

About O'Connor:
O’Connor is one of the largest property tax consulting firms, representing 185,000 clients in 49 states and Canada, handling about 295,000 protests in 2024, with residential property tax reduction services in Illinois, Texas, Georgia, and New York. O’Connor’s possesses the resources and market expertise in the areas of property tax, cost segregation, commercial and residential real estate appraisals. The firm was founded in 1974 and employs a team of 1,000 worldwide. O’Connor’s core focus is enriching the lives of property owners through cost effective tax reduction.

Property owners interested in assistance appealing their assessment can enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program ™. There is no upfront fee, or any fee unless we reduce your property taxes, and easy online enrollment only takes 2 to 3 minutes.

Patrick O'Connor, President
O'Connor
+ + +1 713-375-4128
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Facebook
YouTube
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.