Before becoming the 16th President of the United States, signing the Emancipation Proclamation, and preserving the Union, Illinois’ most famous son, Abraham “Honest Abe” Lincoln was, among other things, a property tax attorney. He won three famous cases on behalf of taxpayers:
In one case, the owner of a ferry boat had moved his boat out if its assessing jurisdiction. The assessor taxed the boat the normal assessment. Lincoln won the case by arguing the assessor did not have jurisdiction.
In another case, the Illinois Central Railroad had been granted a tax exemption by the State Legislature of Illinois. The assessor did not recognize this exemption and attempted to tax the railroad. Lincoln won the case, preserving the right of governing bodies to legislate exemptions.
The most significant property tax case also involved The Illinois Central Railroad. This centered on a valuation issue. The railroad was under construction and approximately half complete on the day of assessment. Lincoln contended that the property was assessed as though the work was completed, but the assessment should have reflected its true value as half constructed. Lincoln won this case too.
Like Honest Abe, we feel you should only pay the taxes you owe, and no more. We look forward to being of service to you.
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