How to Protest Your Real Estate Taxes

The laws regarding Paying Under Protest changed in 2003. The County Treasurer no longer has any role in the procedures. The Statutes can be found at 35 ILCS 200/Art. 23. Due to the complexity of the laws, we will only give general guidelines as to how to proceed. We are in no way suggesting that the advice given here is all inclusive and comprehensive. Please consult an attorney for your particular situation.

When protesting you tax bill, it is no longer necessary to submit a protest form or any letter of protest at the time of payment. According to a new state law, in order to protest the tax bill, you must do two things:

1. See that the tax is PAID IN FULL and,

2. File a tax objection complaint with the DeWitt County Circuit Clerk.

When these two conditions are met, then 100% of the tax bill will be considered paid under protest. The law provides for deadlines for each condition to be met.

Some of the things that have changed:

	You no longer indentify your payment as being under protest. You just pay your taxes in full before the annual tax sale, including any late fees.
	You no longer file any forms at the time of payment with the County Collector.
	Your payment is no longer held in escrow. It is distributed to all of the taxing districts as any other payment would be handled. No money is withheld from any taxing district.
	You now file your Tax Objection Complaint with the DeWitt County Circuit Clerk.