Robin McElroy of Morgan Park in Chicago was shocked to receive a letter from Cook County Circuit Court this year stating that her family home had been sold due to unpaid property taxes. Around 2019, McElroy started receiving letters from different tax buyers claiming she hadn't been paying her property taxes. However, she reportedly had all property tax payment receipts since she purchased the house in 2012. Upon enquiry, she found in April 2019 from the Treasurer's Office that the Property Index Number (PIN) assignment for her home on the Assessor's website was swapped with her neighbours.
A PIN is a 14 to 16-digit numerical code which offers a legal description of a land plot as it is defined for real estate taxation purposes. PINs are known by different names based on where you reside, including permanent index number, property tax number, or parcel ID number. You can find PINs in property deeds, tax bills, or title commitment documents. Property owners can also locate a PIN by inputting their addresses on their respective County's Assessor's website. While PINs are associated with the property and not the owner, it remains the same despite changes in property ownership over time. PINs can be unique for each jurisdiction, but each carries a specific tax value utilised to collect property taxes from homeowners.
