Real estate taxes too high- -can I object?

Hi Terry, I own two houses in Franklin Park IL. One is a typical ranch style type which is very common in Franklin Park. The other is a much smaller cottage type house which was formerly occupied by my parents that passed away some years ago. It is only 750 square feet or so,no garage or basement. I am wondering why the taxes are almost the same on both houses. (slightly less on the cottage) does this sound right? Are taxes based on property size, house size,location? What are the main determining factors. The smaller house is a rental now. Does that make a difference? Do I have any recourse in this situation?

Terry Says:  You’ve now moved into the murky world of property taxes.  Every 4 years, your property taxes are reviewed, re-assessed.  You get a one-time chance to challenge the valuation. You’ll probably need an attorney to do it — but you should first contact the assessors office and find out when is the open period for raising a challenge.  You can Google “property tax assessment lawyers” in Chicago.  One of the best is a woman I wrote a column about several years ago:  Andrea Raila.  Her website is:  http://railaandassociatespc.com/.    Of course, you’ll pay a fee to get the assessment reduced, but it sounds like you should have a case!