Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s Error Cost Family $300K

A property-tax assessment by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi turned into a nightmare for a northwest suburban family.

The Kinsch family, of Palatine, is owed a nearly $300,000 refund in overpaid taxes, which caused them to lose their third-generation business and almost go bankrupt, WLS-TV reported.

To make matters worse, the family is struggling to get that money back.

“It’s very sad,” said Kenneth Kinsch, former owner of Palatine’s Kinsch Village Florist and Greenhouse. “We were a part of the community of Palatine for 80 years. We were the flower growers.”

The family’s property tax bill skyrocketed from $25,000 to $183,000 in 2019, an increase of 640 percent. They were hit with another staggering bill, $151,000, in 2020.

These astronomical hikes were attributed to Kaegi’s inaccurate reclassification of their land from “farm” to “commercial.” Unable to afford the inflated taxes, the family was compelled to sell their cherished business and land.

To appeal a property-tax assessment in Cook County, one must first go through the assessor’s office. If that doesn’t work, the county’s Board of Review is next in line to review the case, followed by the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board as a last resort.

The Kinsches’ appeals to the Cook County Assessor and the Board of Review were both met with denial.

However, following media attention of their plight, Kaegi acknowledged the error, admitting that the family overpaid by nearly $300,000.

Yet, the family faces an uphill battle to recover their losses. The funds have already been allocated by local taxing bodies, primarily to two school districts and the library. Offers for reimbursement fell drastically short, with the family receiving only $90,000 of their owed amount.

Seeking justice, the Kinsch family has pursued legal avenues, filing a case with the state’s Property Tax Appeal Board. However, that process could drag on for years due to a backlog of cases. Alternatively, they could drop the case and rely on the Board of Review’s reconsideration, pending a judge’s approval.

Even if the family gets the full amount they’re entitled to, it won’t be enough to mend the damage that’s been done.

“It’s taken everything away from us,” said Michael Kinsch, another former owner of the floral business. “We’ve lost the generational business that would have continued on, and it’s no longer.”

—Quinn Donoghue