Property Assessments

  1. Township Assessor: January 1st of each year your property is assessed by the Township Assessor.
  2. Supervisor of Assessments: Mid to late summer, the Assessor completes his or her valuation and turns the assessment roll over to the Supervisor of Assessments. The Supervisor of Assessments applies an Equalization Factor on a Township basis to bring the level of assessments to the State required 33.33% (one-third) of market value.  
  3. Assessment Change Notices Mailed & Published: Late summer to early fall, written notice of the Assessor's changes are mailed to the property owners as well as publishing in the local newspapers a list of all parcels where values changed from the previous year.  NOTE: 2007 (and every four years before and after) is a General Assessment Year.  Every property owner during a General Assessment Year receives an Assessment Notice.  All other years, a property owner is noticed only if the Assessor made a change that affects the property’s value.  
  4. Filing a Complaint: Within 30 days of the above publication & notice, assessment complaints may be filed with the Board of Review.
  5. Board of Review:  Mid fall to early winter, hearings are held by the Board of Review to hear complaints filed.  The Board of Review also revises the assessment roll as necessary.
  6. State of Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board: After written notice of the Board of Review decision, the taxpayer may within 30 days file an appeal with the State of Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board.  
  7. County Clerk:  Late winter to early spring, the Board of Review turns the revised assessment roll over to the County Clerk, where tax rates are determined and the roll is certified. 
  8. County Treasurer: After certification, the County Clerk turns the assessment roll over to the County Treasurer.  Tax bills are prepared for mailing by the County Treasurer.  The bills are usually mailed in May and due in two equal payments in June and September.  Therefore, as an example, an assessment placed on your property as of January 1 this year, causes a tax bill to be issued in May of next year.

Your township assessor may have revalued your property or, as required by law, an equalization factor was applied by the Winnebago County Supervisor of Assessments to adjust the level of assessments in each township to 33 1/3%.  For specific reasons, unique to your property, please contact our office at (815) 965-0300 for more information. 

An assessment change notice is a notice mailed by the Supervisor of Assessments office to notify an owner that the Assessor has changed the property’s value.  It is important to note that these notices are published and the period to file a complaint is 30 days from publication. Only properties that have had a change in value are notified. 
Please remember, your tax bills will be based on the assessed value on the notice. 

Land is a supply that is naturally fixed and considered indestructible.  Therefore, its value generally does not decrease.  However, improvements or buildings can frequently change in value based on condition, design, and other attributes or events.

There are many different attributes that are considered when valuing property. Attributes can include, but are not limited to, square footage, number of stories, type of construction, basement, plumbing fixtures, garage style, central air, finished space (such as rec rooms, lower level living and attic), stoops/decks/patios, porches, quality or grade of construction, masonry trim, fireplaces, cost factors, neighborhood or design factors, condition of the property and/or depreciation.

Detached buildings such as garages, pole buildings and other agricultural buildings are considered and valued. Also detached decks, patios and porches, in-ground swimming pools and tennis courts also effect value. Sheds which are built on a permanent foundation are valued. Sheds on blocks, wheels or without foundation are generally listed, but not valued.
Driveways are listed, but are not valued.
Sidewalks, fencing, landscaping are not listed. 

Each parcel is listed as a separate record or card and has a Parcel Identification Number (PIN). Each PIN has a Property Record Card (PRC) with information specific to that parcel and its value.
To obtain a copy of your Property Record Card, please call or visit the Office of the Assessor. We can print, email or fax you a copy. 

For descriptive purposes each building has a main section, labeled as "MA" or is green. The main section (MA) includes the total above grade living area plus, if applicable, finished attic space & finished basement living area.  Any attached structure(s) such as more living space, garage, porch, deck, etc. are additions and each has its own value. 

It is always at the bottom, as if facing it from the street.

All measurements are taken from the exterior of buildings. Dimensions are rounded to the nearest foot. Therefore, measurements listed may not be absolutely accurate. 

Fair market value (FMV) is an estimate of the market value of a property, based on what a knowledgeable, willing, and unpressured buyer would probably pay to a knowledgeable, willing, and unpressured seller in the  market.

Assessed Value is considered to be 1/3 of the Fair Market Value.

Value information is subject to change, either caused by changes in a property's description or by the action of the Board of Review. To avoid confusion we do not display it.  For the latest known assessment data, you can visit www.wingis.org.  When viewing the Property Details page, click Assessment Details.

We are currently working on sketch conversions, including sketches for commercial properties. If you need a commercial sketch that is currently unavailable, please contact us and we will assist you. We can mail, fax, or email you a sketch. 

Commercial properties include multi-family dwellings that are at least 7 units or more, and any commercial or industrial buildings. 
Agricultural  and mutli-family dwellings that are 4-, 5-, or 6-family are listed under residential.

You may find your assessment history by calling our office or visiting WinGIS (search for your property, click Additional Parcel Details, Select Additional Details drop-down and select Assessment).

The Rockford Township Assessor's Office receives this information from Winnebago County. The ultimate sources are recorded documents such as deeds, plats, surveys and so on.

Above Grade Living Area represents the finished, above ground living area of a house. It does not include unfinished areas such as the area occupied by a cathedral ceiling, enclosed non-living areas such as garages, enclosed porches, basement areas or furnished basement living space. 

NONE - No attic or an attic area without a permanent stairway
UNFINISHED ATTIC - Unfinished area accessed by a permanent staircase
PART FINISHED ATTIC - A portion of the attic is finished, equal to 20% of the main body ground floor square footage.
FULL FINISH ATTIC - A portion of the attic is finished, equal to 40% of the main body ground floor square footage
FULL FIN WALL HGT ATTIC - A portion of the attic is finished, equal to 55% of the main body ground floor square footage

The difference between the two is that Finished Basement Living Area is found in basements that are partially or fully exposed and Rec Room Area is found in basements that are not exposed.

We receive notifications from the City of Rockford, City of Loves Park, and from Winnebago County.

We list the month and year in which each building permit is issued. If an inspection reveals that an improvement was added without a building permit it is designated by listing the date as "1-1-20XX."

This is the figure, often rounded, that the permit applicant estimated as the cost of the work being done. Our best advice is to use this figure with a good deal of caution. The Purpose column shows the work being done in summary form.

A sale is considered valid when the transaction is an arm’s length transaction and conveyance is via a warranty deed.  This includes all parties being knowledgeable of the market, making informed decisions without undue influence, having the property exposed to the open market, and/or not involving a financial or governmental agency as the principal buyer or seller.  

A sale is considered invalid if it meets one or many of the following:  it involves a financial or government agency; multiple parcels are included in a sale price; when one parcel is being divided into multiple parcels; parties are related individuals or corporations; the sale is mandated by the court; when only a portion of the parcel or interest is transferred; when parcels are traded; if a deed other than a warranty deed is used to convey the parcel(s); or if the property was not exposed to the open market. 

This designator is applied to a sale if more than one property was sold or if the property was not exposed to the open market, or due to certain deed types.

Three types of sales are possible: 1) land only, 2) improvements only and 3) land with improvements. NOTE: Vacant land will be listed as Land & Bldg if it contains any improvement that generates a value, no matter how small a value that may be.

The sale prices listed are NET amounts after any declared personal property is deducted from the total sale price. We do not keep track of the value of personal property claimed, if any.

The Office of the Assessor does not have the authority to reduce assessments based on sales price.  However, if the Office of the Assessor determines just cause, it can lower a condition, design or neighborhood factor.  If that does not satisfy the owner, it is best to file a complaint with the Board of Review. 

The Supervisor of Assessments or the Board of Review applies the Township Equalization Factor.  Each of the 14 townships in Winnebago County can have a different equalization factor.  Its purpose is to equalize all townships within a county to the same level of assessments.  The Illinois Department of Revenue applies the County Multiplier to equalize all counties in the state to the same level of assessments.  The level of assessments trying to be attained is 1/3 of fair market value at the township, county, and state levels. 

Address

Rockford Township Assessor's Office
401 West State Street, Suite 100
Rockford, Illinois 61101

T: (815) 965-0300
F: (815) 965-8968
 

office hours

Monday through Friday
8:00 am - 4:30 pm