$10 million in refunds sent to tax firms since 2015

Property owners can use cookcountytreasurer.com to search for $79 million in available tax refunds and avoid paying fees to lawyers and refund recovery firms that charge for a simple task that people can do for themselves, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

"If you receive a letter from a property tax firm, you can treat it as a reminder to visit cookcountytreasurer.com," Pappas said. "Do it yourself and keep your own money."

Since 2015, the Treasurer's Office has sent nearly 1,700 refund checks totaling $9.7 million to third parties representing property owners who overpaid their taxes. The fees vary, but those third parties could have pocketed $3.2 million, based on contingent fee contracts of 33 percent of the recovery that are common in property tax work.

You can also use the website to search for missing property tax exemptions, such as those for homeowners and senior citizens, which can lead to refunds.

To see if you are entitled to a refund (going back 20 years) and to verify your exemptions (going back four years), visit cookcountytreasurer.com:

• Select "Your Property Tax Overview"
• Search by address or by Property Index Number (PIN)