Keep voting for the same politicians, and get this kind of result.

You never truly own your home if the government can tax you til you can't afford to pay.

It is sad that the people, who have made these neighborhoods beautiful so that the city could even feel that raising taxes in such an area would be a lucrative venture, are being the ones pushed out.

$19,000 in property taxes for one year for an ordinary house that's absolutely insanity

19k a year of property tax? That’s outrageous and criminal.

Raise property taxes --- raise rents as well -- raise homelessness.

ITS ABOUT TRYING TO COVER THEIR PENSION LIABILITIES!

Nobody should have to pay property tax on a property that’s already paid off.

my grandfather always said no one ever truly owns their home. his favorite was "Don't pay those property taxes. you'll find out real quick who owns 'your' house."

I don’t even live there and it makes me sick !

Well, people won't believe them when they say - You'll own nothing, and be happy - and then they're surprised when it happens. In the end they'll just admit that it was only a half lie - you won't own anything, and you'll end up sad.

Property tax means you don't own your property even after you pay it off, because you're still renting it from the government who can seize it if you get too far behind on taxes. Everyone should revolt against this system.

The politicians use homeowners as their ATM machine.

Wish the media would do more reporting like this.

This is happening all over the country.

Property never really belongs to anyone it belongs to the city. You're the caretaker.

It's funny: you can finally pay off your home and be debt free just to end up paying more per month in property taxes 30 years later than the original mortgage.

And yet, all same politicians will get re-elected. Congratulations.

That's when people are so passive they think they can live their lives without being bothered

WE THE PEOPLE ARE BEING SCREWED BY THE SYSTEM 🕊🇺🇲💕

So basically buying a house is an ILLUSION.

My property taxes went from $1800 to $5000 in 18 years, small house 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. Taxes are going up about twice as fast as the value of the house.

I’m a trucker going on 16 years.... this is the exact reason why I refuse to get off of the road to buy a home and a vehicle! I’ll be damned if I fall for the illusion of the American Dream! Fuck that! I’ll just travel the world and live in my truck stress free!

Ya, I left Chicago in March 2018 - one of the best decisions I've ever made.

So even if your house is paid for you still don't own it.

It doesnt effect "mayor lightfoot and her wife" because she has a city taxpayer's checkbook to cover the cost🤷‍♀️

My wife and I (an ER nurse and Army veteran) purchased a home in Brookfield and the house was in terrible condition. Our property taxes shot up to $20,000 recently and we had to get a lawyer. Shit is insane man.

Fire these crooks

There’s no polite way to tell people that they’ve dedicated their lives to an illusion

Just a reminder: The Revolutionary War was started over a tea tax.

"No voter turnout" and who exactly are we gonna vote for? They're all the same.

THIS MAYOR NEEDS TO GO !!!

Raise the property taxes and the landlords will raise the rents to cover those costs. Homeowners and renters will suffer...

No one owns a home unless you pick that mother****** up and move it to a place unknown to "The man."

This is a good video bringing attention to an urgent topic, thanks for posting. My suggestion to WGN News to follow this report up is creating a new recurring segment taking a look at different individual spending items to find government waste and unnecessary spending in Cook County, with some form of contact action or other action Illinois citizens can take to help fix whatever spending issues WGN News may uncover in each segment.

This is why I just finish building my house In mexico next to my my moms house. Ima pay 200$ a year on property taxes. Too expensive here

I saw this coming years ago. That's why in 2013 my wife and I sold our house in Chicago after our daughter went to college and moved to Tampa. Just tired of all the bs with the city. Taxes, city sticker registration,gas ect....... SMH

Those who pay no taxes in Chicago have figured out that they can elect politicians who will raise taxes on those who do.

This reminds me how I had to pay 3000 pounds a year on a 5000 pound car, for insurance. And if I were to get involved in an accident, I'd have to pay 5x more than if I just fixed it myself. So basically 3000 pounds for absolutely nothing... or else I'd have my car stolen by the police and my driver licence revoked. How is this not extorsion?

Got to pay all those union worker wages and pensions and lefty programs, right!

Home owners have 30 years to pay off the mortgages. Home owners have life time to continue to pay higher property tax year after year

Are we just going to ignore that old lady wearing a sparkly preteen jacket?

In California in the 1970's property taxes were getting so high retired folks were being driven out of their own homes so we passed prop 13. Sounds like Cook county need to take a look & do it too. !

Poor people end up paying more than double for property taxes. For example, a senior or person on disability who only has $1,000 income per month will pay, at a minimum, for an old, broken down, tiny little house, $3,000 in property taxes per year. That's 25% of their income!!! Now compare to a house that pays $20,000 in property taxes, but the owner makes $200,000 per year or more. Even though the taxes are higher, that owner would only be paying 10% of their income or less. The poorer you are, the heavier the burden to own a home. This is a mind-bogglingly outdated system that everybody should be up in arms about.

I think their should be a freeze on ALL taxes until how the money is spent is transparent. Where is the money going?

I’m saving for a home but it won’t be in crooked county

Smh these people in office are out of control...come on Americans Its time!

When I took my property tax appeal all the way to the state level there was only me and 2 other people in the entire county there, where are your balls.

People pay $19k a year to live in that dump? Amazing.

Meanwhile, here in California I just paid my $12K property Tax bill. And I'm an old guy 60+. These taxes are criminal.

We left Chicago for Indiana three years ago. Found a home the same size , half the price, and half the taxes.

High property taxes and then since 2018 the IRS caps your property tax deduction at $10k, which is a joke. So now the Feds tax you on money you don’t have.

Anything to pay those public employees salaries and retirements...SMH

The exact reason as to why i would never,ever buy a house in the USA. They tax the shit out of you and still complains about budget problems going on for ever

The focus should include not just the property taxes, but how the delinquent taxes become liens sold to 3rd party investors who then foreclose and evict residents. Cook county IL, Rochester NY, Hartford Ct... the lien foreclosure system has destroyed countless lives. The deep truth of the matter is disgusting.

I moved out of Chicago to a neighboring state to escape soaring crime and property taxes. I now have the same size house as I did in Chicago, 25x the lot size and pay a fraction of the property taxes I did in Chicago Crook County.

What, your telling me property taxes in a rapidly declining democracy city are skyrocketing? Color me shocked.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rule, the people mourn. Our time of sadness has begun (Prov. 29:2).

This is like buying your house over and over again. How is this legal?

Those buildings have something else in common many of them are almost empty! Which is even worse !

This woman is a perfect example of don't judge a book by it's cover. She is talking about real issues and how the govt. is ruining this community by near criminal tactics. All anyone, including myself can do is focus on that god awful jacket. Seriously never trust anyone in that jacket unless it's her.

Property tax is a reminder that you don't really "own" your home.

My god, I'm new out of prision trying to do the right thing, how do you think that sounds to me? Doing the right thing doesn't pay? So I can buy a house then have to sell it because of the taxes? Where and to who does this make sense to? Then they wonder why there's crime. This gives them all the reason to say being good doesn't pay.

Unless you rent your properties, there is no positive money flow in owning a home. Also why would you own a home, if you go broke you go homeless, the same as if you are renting. Regarding Chicago, maybe it is doing its residents a favor by making them move out, thus keeping them safe from the warzone it became. :(

The leisure class are voting themselves the money that other people earned.

Lucifer needs the money, his children need bread.

this is nuts. it's insane that the government can both kick you out of your home that you own (or have a good history of paying their mortgage) for not paying taxes AND gets the right to determine what those taxes will be. i think there needs to be some sort of protection against insane increases like this in just a year, the same way that i guaranteed that my rent cant increase more than a certain amount per yer.

I wrote an essay on this 30 years ago. The crux of my essay was that in 50 years the poor will be forced to move back to the country as the wealthy will get tired of commuting. The poor will be living in suburban mansions that have been divided into small apartments just as the huge mansions from the 1920s in the city were. Looks like I hit a home run. The only difference is that there is no longer any manufacturing in the cities. The manufacturing is now in small towns with very high wages.

god bless america. tax the middle class right out of exitance. welcome to the increasing poor.

Happy with my little 2 bed in the burbs here.-. I voted no on ALL property taxes

And we call it the land of the free.... More like the land of the FEE

Corruption, Extortion, Evil Greed!

We need to bring back “no taxation without representation” for the working class.

Not seeing the problem you voted the crooks in and you got what you voted for

$19,000 yearly property tax. And it's a surprise when people leave the state?????

About 22 years ago until 2011 I used to spend quite a bit of time in Chicago even though I lived in Texas. The company I worked for back then was based there and often had training and other events I'd fly up for and it was a wonderful city to visit. Granted I havent been back there in over 10 years now, but from what I hear the city has changed a lot, and not for the better. I used to enjoy both Chicago and NYC, but these days I have no desire to visit either city, and that saddens me.

A tax collector advocating for less taxes and powerfully.. I never thought I'd see the day, and I applaud her efforts.

Don't you people get it yet? Of course they're going to raise taxes. How else can they afford to give themselves a pay raise? Sarcasm aside, this pisses me off.

To be forced to pay $19,000 a year and property taxes for a modest home that is paid off is insanity.

This is currently happening to Me in Ashtabula County OH - My Mom died 2009, I was named as executor, 3 months later I was removed as ex, - reason: I allegedly did not list a Estate owned vacant lot for sale, yet I instructed the R.E. Broker to forward listing paperwork to opposition lawyer. I was removed as Ex. a subsequent hearing was scheduled at which I was presented with a copy of the new appraisal of the vacant Estate owned property, appraised by the same appraiser as Myself! On the cover of the appraisal was the same photo used when I had the property appraised several month prior. In front of the Magistrate that removed Me as Ex, I pointed to the photo and stated - See that Caldwell Banker for sale sign ! that is the sign that proves I had listed the property for sale when You removed Me - NOTE: this was proof provided by the opposition and ignored again by the Magistrate just as previous proof was ignored. ( The Judge was being poisoned with antifreeze by His, Nurse, wife at the time - He lived : ethyl alcohol is the antidote to antifreeze ). This was only one of many bizarre instances of blatant denial of the facts. 2 years later after which the property could not be sold ( 2008 -2009 G.F.C. ) I was offered the property at no offset to any distribution and I accepted in writing 2 ways including registered mail, but was instructed to sign a blank page in acceptance, I refused. The property remains titled in My late Mothers name as of today. The tax collector wants Me to pay the back taxes on the lot, however the subsequent executor of the Estate having received almost $100K in Estate cash neglected to distribute it and was dismissed by the same Magistrate without transferring the vacant lot nor was there an accounting of the Estate !!! WHAT !!! Did I mention that the opposition Lawyer as well as the Magistrate and likely Judge were, allegedly, socially alcoholically associating with the opposition? This is only a portion of what I can only describe as racketeering.

The saying ”No taxation without representation!” never sounded so real

When you tax people to the point to where it stops them or prevents them from their pursuit of happiness then it becomes unconstitutional

It is true, this country doesn't want to people to own anything.

If you still buy property in Cook County, you deserve what you get.

This is happening everywhere and something needs to be done about this crap.

19k a year in taxes is 1583.00 a month, that is a house payment here in Ohio. Why on Earth would anyone pay that amount of money to live near that shit hole of a city.

They have to put a cap on the retirement for city workers

There is a lot to say about California but one thing they got correct - Prop 13 put a limit on property taxes and only allows a small increase each year (but when sold the property taxes are based on current value of property).

Anyone who has studied Roman history has seen this story before and will warn you it's only the beginning of the end.

Soon, there will be ghost towns with homeless ghosts wandering around. 😠

They almost shut down an orphanage in the 70's for back taxes, it was bad then.

There should be an open, Public audit with an accounting of where that money is going. Every dime.

Beginning of the Great Reset, Tax you until you have nothing.

Someone's gotta pay for those massive state and union pensions!

Just when we think Chicago can’t get any worse!

That's disgusting....the tax payers need to protest!

It's not called cook county but a crook county - this is why I am moving out - enough is enough

Sue the local government officials that are responsible for this increase in taxes.

I'm curious to know how much the report cost.

🌿🧠🌿😳🤨🤔Thanks for Reporting🌿Will share soon🌿👑🌿GOD BLESS🌿