April 1 Due Date for Current Property Tax Bills

More than 1.7 million property tax bills with a due date of April 1 are being mailed to Cook County owners of homes, businesses and land, the first time they have had 60 days to pay a tax installment, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

The bills are for the First Installment of Tax Year 2010, and are calculated to be 55 percent of the previous year's total bill.

The due date for First Installment bills usually is March 1 or the first business day of March. However, Pappas noted, the state Legislature changed the First Installment due date to April 1 for this year only. The due date is to revert to March 1 in future years.

Pappas said payment can be made:

• Electronically, at cookcountytreasurer.com.
• At some 400 Chase Bank locations.
• From personal accounts at 208 participating community banks.

Mortgage companies making payments for property owners out of escrow accounts must commit by February 25 to pay by April 1, Pappas said.

Late payments - those received after the April 1 due date - receive a penalty of 1.5 percent per month.

Property owners can visit cookcountytreasurer.com and enter their Property Index Number to see how much their bills are, whether they have received proper exemptions, and whether they are due a refund.

Owners also can call 312.443.5100 for information in English, Polish and Spanish.