Monday, April 24, 2017

All Over Like a Cheap Suit

So sue me.
If Chicago was an island in the Pacific Ocean, then a Federal judge sitting on an island in the Pacific has dismissed a lawsuit to lower property taxes in Lake County.

Earlier this year, several Township assessors filed a Federal lawsuit against Lake County and County Assessor Marty Paulson. They argued that their civil rights were violated when the County raised thousands of their assessments. U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Gettleman, however, was not buying it. According to the Daily Herald ...
Assessors have no legal right to have the values they set upheld, Gettleman said, and they have no personal interest at risk if their valuations are changed. Gettleman also said Paulson's reversals properly followed the assessment process. Additionally, Gettleman ruled the property owners' complaint against Paulson and the other defendants belongs in state court, not federal.
Federal lawsuit against Lake County officials over land values dismissed
One township-level spokesman said: "We didn't want to risk filing our suit in County Court, because Lake County is notorious for issuing wrongful convictions."

It is unclear who paid the legal expenses. Your LakeCountyEye suspects it did not come out of the pockets of the township assessor plaintiffs.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

SB 909 is working its way through the Senate and his a "pilot"program for Lake County only. If approved and signed into law, the Lake County Assessors would be consolidated into the County. Since the township assessors have no special mission not already granted to the state or the county, Township Assessors are one of the most REDUNDANT functions.
A study was conducted nearly two years ago. An immediate $4,000,000.00 would be saved by the consolidation. The best of the best assessors and staff would be placed in satellite facilities throughout the county to provide a "local" help.
No more elected Assessors!

Anonymous said...

What a heaping pile of crap. Are we really expected to believe these township assessors accidentally filed in the wrong court? Horsepucky. The liars and cheats rigged this to get it thrown out. If not, where's the correct filing?

This turd was intentionally filed this way to give everyone the false impression that these chumps in local office give a rat's @ss about tax payers' money. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Until assessors are held personally accountable for their BS, expect more of the same, whether from the township or from the county.

Grant resident said...

"Funny", the Grant Township Assessor Office is stlll telling people she is "currently awaiting court action on illegal actions taken by the Chief County Assessment Officer in 2016"

www.granttownshipcenter.org/Assessor/assessor.htm