Cook County fixes hundreds of misclassified properties

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi's office is correcting hundreds of misclassified properties after an investigation by the Chicago Tribune and Illinois Answers Project. The audit revealed that at least 620 properties were undervalued, adding nearly $489 million in taxable value. Kaegi's office has fixed 491 of these properties but still has 129 errors pending. The office has hired new staff and improved processes to prevent future misclassifications, which have historically led to unfair tax burdens on other homeowners. Some property owners are now facing significant back tax bills due to these corrections. The assessor's office is working to address these issues, but delays in permit data from local governments have complicated the process.