Emily R.: I don’t want to have to move.

Emily R. owns a 1,160 square foot, 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom Chicago home that is currently assessed at $112,830.

“I don’t want to have to move,” Emily said. “I don’t think it’s fair that [a loan company] can just come in when the loan is about to be paid off in three years.”

Emily has paid $5,611 in property taxes since 2015.

“I’ve paid my taxes every year,” Emily said. “I have no idea [how the taxes are spent].”

“I’ve paid my taxes every year,” Emily said. “I have no idea [how the taxes are spent].”

Emily is currently paying $2,022 per year in property taxes on her home, about 1.7 percent of the Cook County Assessor claimed value of $112,830.

“It’s so unfair,” Emily said. “I have paid these property taxes every year and because my mother didn’t leave a will…I’m not exempt because I’m not the homeowner [even though I’ve been paying them every year].”

Indiana has a hard 1 percent cap on property taxes. This means local governments are not allowed under state law to charge homeowner’s more than 1 percent of their home’s assessed value per year. The average property tax rate for the state of Indiana is 0.89 percent. Meanwhile, the average property tax rate in Illinois is 2.3 percent.

“It should be against the law for anyone to acquire property taxes without the occupant's permission and knowledge,” Emily said. “How is that legally allowed?”

If Emily lived in Indiana the most she could be charged in property taxes would be $1,128 per year or $894 less than what she currently pays in Illinois.

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