Cook County Assessor's office wrongly granted $930,000 in property tax exemptions to 287 owners, then waived about $900,000 in penalties and interest, Sun-Times reports
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What happened
A Chicago Sun-Times investigation published May 23, 2025 found that Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi's office erroneously granted more than $930,000 in property tax exemptions to 287 owners since he took office in December 2018, then waived roughly $900,000 in penalties and interest it had sought. The largest waiver was $424,433 for senior-living operator Brookdale; a $622 waiver went to 27th Ward Ald. Walter Burnett and his wife. An assessor's spokesperson said the office does not bill interest or penalties for assessor errors, that such waived cases are 'less than 1%' of erroneous exemptions, and that the office collected $5.4 million in 2024, including $1.2 million in interest and penalties.
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- Chicago Sun-Times, Oct 1, 2018: Game of thrones? Watchdog sees 'scheme to defraud' in Pritzker toilet tax break
gave $930,000 in wrongful tax breaks
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