By Nick Gale, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) — The Cook County Treasurer’s Office is sending nearly 30,000 homeowners refunds totaling $8.3 million without requiring an application. Treasurer Maria Pappas says it’s another example of using technology to make things easier for taxpayers.

“We’ve taken steps in the past to make the refund application process easier,” Pappas said. “Now we’re trying to eliminate the application altogether.”

Overpayments occur for a variety of reasons, including the simple mistake of paying more than is owed on the tax bill. More often, overpayments result from a reduction in property taxes after the bill was paid.

Here are details about the 29,752 refunds:

• The 8,947 homeowners who paid their taxes through a bank/mortgage escrow account are receiving refund checks

• The 20,805 homeowners who paid by check or online are automatically receiving refunds to their bank or credit card accounts

To see if you are entitled to a refund, visit cookcountytreasurer.com, select the purple box “Your Property Overview”  and enter your address or Property Index Number (PIN).

The refunds are due to tax overpayments made since 2013. Using bank, credit card and property records, the Treasurer’s office has electronically determined who made the overpayment in these cases, making refund applications unnecessary.

@  2018 WLS-AM News