Illinois § 15

§ 15.

Deferral or exemption authority. (a) The corporate authorities of a county shall have the power to provide, by ordinance or resolution, for uniform special real property tax relief provisions granting longtime owner-occupants a deferral or exemption, or combination thereof, in the payment of that portion of an increase of real property taxes which is due to an increase in the market value of the real property as a consequence of the refurbishing or renovating of other residences or the construction of new residences in long-established residential areas or areas of deteriorated, vacant or abandoned homes and properties. A deferral or exemption, or combination thereof, may be granted until the longtime owner-occupant transfers title to the property. The ordinance or resolution must include a provision requiring that eligibility notification of the special real property tax relief be delivered to the record owner of the property taxed. The eligibility notification shall be mailed to the address of the record owner on file with the county. If the notification is mailed by the county to a mortgagee because it is the only address of the record owner filed with the county, then the mortgagee shall, within 30 days of receipt, forward a copy of the notice to each mortgagor of the property. There shall be no liability for the failure of the mortgagee to forward the notice to each mortgagor. (b) The corporate authority of a county is authorized to enact ordinances or resolutions that provide for the designation of areas eligible for the special real property tax relief provisions under this Act. Before enacting an ordinance or resolution that proposes designating such an area, the corporate authorities shall conduct a public hearing on the proposed ordinance or resolution. (c) School districts and municipalities within a county have authority to determine their participation in the program of special real property tax relief within their taxing jurisdictions. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to municipalities and school districts included under subsection (d) of this Section. (d) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, if the corporate authority of a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants enacts an ordinance or resolution in accordance with subsection (c), a municipality having a population exceeding 500,000 within that county and a school district in a municipality having a population exceeding 500,000 within that county must participate in the program of special property tax relief within their taxing jurisdiction. This subsection is a denial and limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection (g) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution. (Source: P.A. 90-648, eff. 7-24-98; 91-894, eff. 1-1-01.)