Office of the Assessor

Automatic Renewal of Exemptions - 6/11/2020

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the State has enacted legislation to automatically renew exemptions for tax year 2020.  The automatic renewals will affect the Senior Assessment Freeze, Disabled Persons, Disabled Veterans exemptions.

If a taxpayer had any of the exemptions in place for tax year 2019, then the exemption will automatically be granted for tax year 2020.  Taxpayers do not need to renew or file for this year.  If a taxpayer has already submitted an application or renewal for 2020, no further action is required.

The only instance where an application must be made is for first time applicants or if there has been a change is the Disabled Veterans disability rating.

This legislation was supported by the Lake County Township Assessor’s Association to protect the most vulnerable population from the spread of Covid-19.  Lake County will be mailing notices to those taxpayers who are impacted.

Please contact my office should if you have questions. Vernon Township Assessor Office - 847-634-4602.


The Vernon Township Assessor is your liaison to the Chief County Assessment Office. The Township Assessor is an elected position (4-year terms). The assessor must be certified by the State and meet continuing education requirements. 

The job of the assessor is to value all taxable parcels of property within the township in a uniform manner so all properties are valued at the same approximate assessment level. This creates a fair share spread of the real estate tax burden. The assessor has no say or control of the tax monies requested of any given taxing district.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the assessor to pick up any new property annually which is not on the assessment roll. This includes new homes, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, finished basements, decks, patios, pools, garages, sheds, barns, etc.

We receive copies of building permits from 11 municipalities and also the county for unincorporated areas.

Villages within Vernon Township

Villages wholly or partially located with Vernon Township:

  • Bannockburn
  • Buffalo Grove 
  • Indian Creek
  • Lake Forest
  • Lincolnshire
  • Long Grove
  • Mettawa
  • Mundelein
  • Riverwoods
  • Vernon Hills
  • Wheeling

2019 Real Estate Tax

  • First installment due:  June 8 & August 7, 2020
  • Second installment due:  September 8 & November 9, 2020

Other Services Provided by the Office of the Assessor

Review Property Assessment 

2020 Assessment Notices for Vernon Township are targeted to be mailed September 3rd. It’s important for taxpayers to read and understand this notice. The Vernon Township Assessor's Office is open to the public during normal business hours. Capacity may be limited in order to comply with social distancing standards. We are also available via phone 847-634-4602 and email graupp@vernonassessor.com.

Evaluating your Property assessment 

Before you begin the appeal process, we recommend reviewing your property characteristics IMSLake.org. Contact the Vernon Township Assessor’s office if you find any errors on your property record.

If you have reviewed your assessment and determined an appeal is necessary, you can research properties and populate a grid of comparable sales.

After entering your PIN, a page displaying your residence and characteristics will appear.

At the bottom of the page, under Comparable Property Information, select how you would like to search for properties.

Generate your grid by selecting your comparables (you may select up to five per grid) and clicking on View Comparable Report.

Once your grid is created, download it and save it as a PDF on your computer.

You can complete an assessment appeal electronically to the Board of Review using the e-filing system. Remember to attach your evidence and submit before the deadline. 

How to appeal your property assessment

Now you can file an appeal with the Lake County Board of Appeal on Lake County’s SmartFile E-Filing Portal. When you are at the comparable section of the portal, go to the Attachments tab at the top of the page and upload your previously generated grid as evidence. Do not use the comparable grid in SmartFile as this data does not contain the most current and accurate data.

Should you need assistance with creating an account or with the SmartFile E-filing process, a video tutorial is available click here . You can also call the Chief County Assessment office at 847-377-2050 for further assistance.

The rules of the Lake County Board of Review can be found here.