State Laws You Should Know
Bill Ward, Executive Vice President, HBAI
Up until 1999, builders filing for the Model Home tax benefit had until January 31st of each year to file their applications with the Township Assessor. Builders hated the deadline, and as it turned out, so did the assessors. Structures weren’t complete by the deadline, parcel numbers were not known, the final number of model homes for that year was not known, and builders were just caught off guard with the deadline no matter how many notices were sent through the mail.
HBAI worked in coordination with the Township Officials of Illinois and the Township Assessors to change the deadline in the spring of 1999. Republican Senator, Doris Karpiel, of Bloomingdale, introduced SB38, which moved the deadline to December 31st in every county but Cook. Cook County negotiated out to April 30th for their deadline.
Senator Karpiel got approval in the Senate Revenue Committee, including a Yes vote from second-term State Senator, Barack Obama. Upon passage in the Senate, Republican Representatives Carol Pankau and Dan Rutherford sponsored the bill in the House. The bill gained passage in the House and was signed later in the year by our newly elected Governor, George Ryan.
With exception to Cook County, HBAI no longer needs to send out deadline notices for model home applications. Happy Thanksgiving from the Senior Officers & Staff at the Home Builders Association of Illinois!
