PTAB Extends Certain Evidence Filing Deadlines in Response to COVID-19; Timelines to File Appeals and Intervene Remain

Today the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) issued guidance to practitioners on filing dates and deadlines in light of the unprecedented changes occasioned by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The guidance postpones hearings and extends certain evidence filing deadlines, but does not extend the period for filing an appeal or for the filing of an intervention on any appeal where notice was already issued by the local Board of Review.

The communication from PTAB addresses the following:

• PTAB will not generate or send out mail or electronic correspondence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and so will not create any new intervention deadlines during that time.
• All hearings scheduled through April 17 are postponed. PTAB has not set any new hearing dates.
• PTAB extended evidence filing deadlines for sixty (60) days for any due date falling between March 23 and April 30. PTAB will not communicate the extensions, but they will be reflected on the PTAB website.
• PTAB did not extend the thirty (30) day period for filing an appeal. This is a statutory filing deadline set forth in Section 16-160 of the Property Tax Code. The PTAB will allow a truncated filing of just the first page of the appeal form and a copy of the local Board of Review’s decision.
• PTAB did not extend the sixty (60) day period for intervening in any appeal where the local Board of Review has issued notice. This means that if you have received notice of a PTAB appeal the 60-day time period for filing intervention is active and closing. The PTAB, however, will allow for additional time to submit the authorizing resolution from the taxing authority if explanation for why it is not being filed is submitted with the request to intervene.
• We can expect additional guidance at the PTAB’s next regularly scheduled meeting on April 14.

We will continue to monitor the changes prompted by COVID-19 as they affect Illinois school districts and the property tax assessment, appeal, and collection process and bring you more information as it becomes available. For more information on this topic contact the authors of this alert or any other Franczek attorney.