Delays in Cook County Property Tax Refunds

The ABC7 I-Team is looking into significant delays in processing property tax refunds for Cook County residents.

Local officials are criticizing private companies for their recent computer system upgrades. While these systems have been fixed for sending out property tax bills, the same cannot be said for refunds.

Now, almost a year later, thousands of property owners—from Lyons Township in the south to South Barrington in the north—are still waiting for around $200 million in refunds.

For instance, Sherry Schnell is anticipating a payment of $10,000 due to an error regarding square footage. “I can’t believe it took this long,” she said, voicing her frustration. “Will I ever have money?”

Similarly, Jim Duerr from unincorporated Elgin has been waiting for an additional $17,000 after repeatedly misclassifying vacant land. “It feels like we’re in the movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ Nothing is resolved,” Duerr remarked.

The issue is affecting 83,000 property owners in Cook County who have been waiting for $186 million since May 2025. Each taxpayer is set to receive an average of about $2,250.

Leaders have pointed fingers at Tyler Technologies, the vendor responsible for these software upgrades, for causing these delays right before the property tax deadline.

As Duerr put it, “If I were in charge, I would fire everyone and start over.”

In the I-Team’s findings, the Cook County Assessor’s Office admitted to appraisal mistakes, and although certificates of error were issued, many are still pending final certification. Lengthy paperwork and coordination issues with other offices, such as the Cook County Treasurer’s Office and the Board of Review, have contributed to the holdup.

The wait persists due to ongoing software upgrade problems with Tyler Technologies, which the county hired for assistance. These same computer issues have also caused delays in distributing property tax bills.

“If you don’t send money, they’re going to come after you right away,” Schnell lamented.

Over the last decade, the Cook County Commission has paid Tyler more than $30 million under the “Property Tax Plan Agreement” without including other contracts and fees. There is pressure on Tyler to ensure all outstanding amendments are addressed, as stated by Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office. Treasurer Maria Pappas emphasized that her department is doing everything it can to expedite these refunds.

“I’m trying to get this money to people,” Pappas affirmed.

Tyler Technologies explained that a complete overhaul of technologies was needed, requiring “countless hours” to recover lost data from various county agencies and address “data anomalies.” They claimed that the ability to process most refunds was hampered because the county had yet to provide necessary data.

However, Treasurer Pappas placed the blame back on Tyler Technologies, stating, “I’m like a guy who kills a snake without a stick, and this company is incompetent when it comes to delivering results.”

Despite claims of running around the clock for months at no extra charge, Tyler maintains that they’re continuing to work closely with the Treasury Department to ensure that refunds can be processed once they receive the corrected source data.

In February, Tyler’s team reported facing bullying and intimidation from Pappas. When asked about Tyler not wanting to speak with her anymore, Pappas responded pointedly, “Well, you know what? They don’t want to talk to truth-tellers.”

In addition, more than 2,000 municipalities are reportedly waiting for $8 billion in funding, although Pappas noted that her office has successfully distributed a large portion of that amount.

The office collaborated with Chase to create a program that allowed for the immediate withdrawal of $4 billion, circumventing Tyler.

After intervention, individuals like Mr. Duerr received checks, and Pappas was hopeful that further payments would follow soon.

When asked if people might see their refunds soon, Pappas replied cautiously, “I think so. I think so.” The Treasury Department also asserted that they provided everything necessary for the computer company to fulfill its obligations.

As for the funds currently held, while they do earn interest, the county will return that interest along with the refunds to the taxpayers.