SB1737eng 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1737 Engrossed LRB098 06651 HLH 40661 b

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing Sections 14-41, 21-15, 21-20, and 21-25 as follows:

(35 ILCS 200/14-41)

Sec. 14-41. Notice and collection of arrearages of property taxes. If a taxpayer owes arrearages of taxes due to an administrative error, the county may not bill, collect, claim a lien for, or sell the arrearages of taxes for tax years earlier than the 2 most recent tax years, including the current tax year. If a taxpayer owes arrearages of taxes due to an administrative error, the county collector shall send the taxpayer, by certified mail, a notice that the arrearages of taxes are owed by the taxpayer. If the notice is mailed to the taxpayer on or before October 1 in any year, then (i) the county collector may send a separate bill for the arrearages of taxes, which may be due no sooner than 30 days after the due date for the next installment of taxes or (ii) the arrearages of taxes may are to be added to the tax bill for the following year, in which case the taxes and are due in 2 equal installments on June 1 and September 1 in the following year unless the county has adopted an accelerated method of billing in which case the arrearages of taxes may be billed separately and shall be due in equal installments on the dates on which each installment of taxes is due in the following year. If the notice is mailed after October 1 in any year, then the arrearages of taxes are to be added to the tax bill for the second year after the notice and are due in 2 equal installments on June 1 and September 1 in the second year after the notice unless the county has adopted an accelerated method of billing in which case the arrearages of taxes may be billed separately and shall be due in equal installments on the dates on which each installment of taxes is due in the second year after the notice. In no event shall the due dates on the arrearages of taxes be in more than one tax year. The arrearages of taxes added to a tax bill under this Section are to be listed separately on the tax bill. "Administrative error" includes but is not limited to failure to include an extension for a taxing district on the tax bill, an error in the calculations of tax rates or extensions or any other mathematical error by the county clerk, or a defective coding by the county, but does not include a failure by the county to send a tax bill to the taxpayer, the failure by the taxpayer to notify the assessor of a change in the tax-exempt status of property, or any error concerning the assessment of the property.

(Source: P.A. 89-617, eff. 9-1-96.)

(35 ILCS 200/21-15)

Sec. 21-15. General tax due dates; default by mortgage lender. Except as otherwise provided in this Section or Section 21-40, all property upon which the first installment of taxes remains unpaid on the later of (i) June 1 or (ii) the day after the date specified on the real estate tax bill as the first installment due date annually shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after that date at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or portion thereof. Except as otherwise provided in this Section or Section 21-40, all property upon which the second installment of taxes remains due and unpaid on the later of (i) September 1 or (ii) the day after the date specified on the real estate tax bill as the second installment due date, annually, shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after that date at the same interest rate. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a taxpayer owes an arrearage of taxes due to an administrative error, and if the county collector sends a separate bill for that arrearage as provided in Section 14-41, then any part of the arrearage of taxes that remains unpaid on the day after the due date specified on that tax bill shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after that date at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or portion thereof. All interest collected shall be paid into the general fund of the county. Payment received by mail and postmarked on or before the required due date is not delinquent.

Property not subject to the interest charge in Section 9-260 or Section 9-265 shall also not be subject to the interest charge imposed by this Section until such time as the owner of the property receives actual notice of and is billed for the principal amount of back taxes due and owing.

If an Illinois resident who is a member of the Illinois National Guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and who has an ownership interest in property taxed under this Act is called to active duty for deployment outside the continental United States and is on active duty on the due date of any installment of taxes due under this Act, he or she shall not be deemed delinquent in the payment of the installment and no interest shall accrue or be charged as a penalty on the installment until 180 days after that member returns from active duty. To be deemed not delinquent in the payment of an installment of taxes and any interest on that installment, the reservist or guardsperson must make a reasonable effort to notify the county clerk and the county collector of his or her activation to active duty and must notify the county clerk and the county collector within 180 days after his or her deactivation and provide verification of the date of his or her deactivation. An installment of property taxes on the property of any reservist or guardsperson who fails to provide timely notice and verification of deactivation to the county clerk is subject to interest and penalties as delinquent taxes under this Code from the date of deactivation.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when any unpaid taxes become delinquent under this Section through the fault of the mortgage lender, (i) the interest assessed under this Section for delinquent taxes shall be charged against the mortgage lender and not the mortgagor and (ii) the mortgage lender shall pay the taxes, redeem the property and take all necessary steps to remove any liens accruing against the property because of the delinquency. In the event that more than one entity meets the definition of mortgage lender with respect to any mortgage, the interest shall be assessed against the mortgage lender responsible for servicing the mortgage. Unpaid taxes shall be deemed delinquent through the fault of the mortgage lender only if: (a) the mortgage lender has received all payments due the mortgage lender for the property being taxed under the written terms of the mortgage or promissory note secured by the mortgage, (b) the mortgage lender holds funds in escrow to pay the taxes, and (c) the funds are sufficient to pay the taxes after deducting all amounts reasonably anticipated to become due for all hazard insurance premiums and mortgage insurance premiums and any other assessments to be paid from the escrow under the terms of the mortgage. For purposes of this Section, an amount is reasonably anticipated to become due if it is payable within 12 months from the time of determining the sufficiency of funds held in escrow. Unpaid taxes shall not be deemed delinquent through the fault of the mortgage lender if the mortgage lender was directed in writing by the mortgagor not to pay the property taxes, or if the failure to pay the taxes when due resulted from inadequate or inaccurate parcel information provided by the mortgagor, a title or abstract company, or by the agency or unit of government assessing the tax.

(Source: P.A. 97-944, eff. 8-10-12.)

(35 ILCS 200/21-20)

Sec. 21-20. Due dates; accelerated billing in counties of less than 3,000,000. Except as otherwise provided in Section 21-40, in counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants in which the accelerated method of billing and paying taxes provided for in Section 21-30 is in effect, the estimated first installment of unpaid taxes shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after a date not later than June 1 annually as provided for in the ordinance or resolution of the county board adopting the accelerated method, at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or portion thereof until paid or forfeited. The second installment of unpaid taxes shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after August 1 annually at the same interest rate until paid or forfeited. Payment received by mail and postmarked on or before the required due date is not delinquent. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a taxpayer owes an arrearage of taxes due to an administrative error, and if the county collector sends a separate bill for that arrearage as provided in Section 14-41, then any part of the arrearage of taxes that remains unpaid on the day after the due date specified on that tax bill shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after that date at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or portion thereof.

If an Illinois resident who is a member of the Illinois National Guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and who has an ownership interest in property taxed under this Act is called to active duty for deployment outside the continental United States and is on active duty on the due date of any installment of taxes due under this Act, he or she shall not be deemed delinquent in the payment of the installment and no interest shall accrue or be charged as a penalty on the installment until 180 days after that member returns from active duty. To be deemed not delinquent in the payment of an installment of taxes and any interest on that installment, the reservist or guardsperson must make a reasonable effort to notify the county clerk and the county collector of his or her activation to active duty and must notify the county clerk and the county collector within 180 days after his or her deactivation and provide verification of the date of his or her deactivation. An installment of property taxes on the property of any reservist or guardsperson who fails to provide timely notice and verification of deactivation to the county clerk is subject to interest and penalties as delinquent taxes under this Code from the date of deactivation.

(Source: P.A. 94-312, eff. 7-25-05.)

(35 ILCS 200/21-25)

Sec. 21-25. Due dates; accelerated billing in counties of 3,000,000 or more. Except as hereinafter provided and as provided in Section 21-40, in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants in which the accelerated method of billing and paying taxes provided for in Section 21-30 is in effect, the estimated first installment of unpaid taxes shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after March 1 at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or portion thereof until paid or forfeited. For tax year 2010, the estimated first installment of unpaid taxes shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after April 1 at the rate of 1.5% per month or portion thereof until paid or forfeited. For all tax years, the second installment of unpaid taxes shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after August 1 annually at the same interest rate until paid or forfeited. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a taxpayer owes an arrearage of taxes due to an administrative error, and if the county collector sends a separate bill for that arrearage as provided in Section 14-41, then any part of the arrearage of taxes that remains unpaid on the day after the due date specified on that tax bill shall be deemed delinquent and shall bear interest after that date at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or portion thereof.

If the county board elects by ordinance adopted prior to July 1 of a levy year to provide for taxes to be paid in 4 installments, each installment for that levy year and each subsequent year shall be deemed delinquent and shall begin to bear interest 30 days after the date specified by the ordinance for mailing bills, at the rate of 1 1/2% per month or portion thereof, until paid or forfeited.

Payment received by mail and postmarked on or before the required due date is not delinquent.

Taxes levied on homestead property in which a member of the National Guard or reserves of the armed forces of the United States who was called to active duty on or after August 1, 1990, and who has an ownership interest, shall not be deemed delinquent and no interest shall accrue or be charged as a penalty on such taxes due and payable in 1991 or 1992 until one year after that member returns to civilian status.

If an Illinois resident who is a member of the Illinois National Guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and who has an ownership interest in property taxed under this Act is called to active duty for deployment outside the continental United States and is on active duty on the due date of any installment of taxes due under this Act, he or she shall not be deemed delinquent in the payment of the installment and no interest shall accrue or be charged as a penalty on the installment until 180 days after that member returns to civilian status. To be deemed not delinquent in the payment of an installment of taxes and any interest on that installment, the reservist or guardsperson must make a reasonable effort to notify the county clerk and the county collector of his or her activation to active duty and must notify the county clerk and the county collector within 180 days after his or her deactivation and provide verification of the date of his or her deactivation. An installment of property taxes on the property of any reservist or guardsperson who fails to provide timely notice and verification of deactivation to the county clerk is subject to interest and penalties as delinquent taxes under this Code from the date of deactivation.

(Source: P.A. 96-1297, eff. 7-26-10.)