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.
McElroy's Issue Remained Despite Assurances Of Rectification
The Treasurer's Office asked McElroy not to worry about it in 2019. She put the issue behind her, given that all her property tax payments were up to date. The officials also told her there were "no grounds to proceed with a sale" of her property. Five years later, she received another letter from the court notifying that her family home had been sold for delinquent taxes. The court notice also highlighted that McElroy owed the new owner, who bought her house, three years of rent. "This lady should not have to be put in this position to go through all of this headache and heartache. This is stressful," McElroy said about the new owner. "Keep in mind that, you know, this is somebody's property that they paid for, that they're living in," she added.
Upon investigation, McElroy found that the PIN mix-up had not been resolved in all these years, which resulted in McElroy losing her home and becoming entangled in tax issues. The Assessor's Office admitted the PIN issue with CBS News and finally rectified the problem with the swapped PIN. Furthermore, an Assessor Office representative noted that the office coordinated with its legal team and confirmed that McElroy had paid all taxes to date. This time, however, McElroy sought all confirmation in writing and did not take anyone's word for it. "You guys can point fingers all day long. I don't care. I want what's rightfully owned to me," she said.
In the process, McElroy suffered both mental and financial stress, given she had to consult a lawyer to resolve the issue, leading to considerable lawyer fees.
Any PIN Defects Must Be Corrected To Avoid Unnecessary Financial Burdens
Problems with the legal description of a property would require the deed to be rectified to avoid any potential financial problems in the future. Generally, title agents will locate any issues with PINs and related information before carrying out a real estate deal. If you, as a homeowner, require rectification of PIN-related information, consulting a real estate attorney is one way to approach the problem.
Homeowners could also become victims of PIN slamming because they weren't aware that the property's legal description included more than one lot. PIN slamming can result in additional property taxes and associated financial burdens for property owners. It happens when a property seller omits an extra land parcel attached to the property PIN when trying to sell it to potential homebuyers, resulting in double property taxes for whoever buys the land associated with that PIN. Homeowners can avoid these hurdles by becoming aware of PIN-slamming activity in the area from a realtor or real estate attorney. They can also order a survey or review public records to understand the land parcels attached to a particular PIN.
