C
ook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi is cracking down on recipients of Illinois' senior citizen assessment freeze program after an investigation revealed widespread abuse. Dozens of property owners, including those who don't qualify for the program, are being asked to provide proof of eligibility or face repayment with penalties and interest.

    A striking case involves 84-year-old Jill Fitzgerald, a widow living in a $7.1 million mansion in Winnetka whose taxes have been frozen at a 2015 assessed value of $1.2 million since 2015. Despite selling two apartment buildings for $2.5 million in 2018 and potentially residing with family members who exceed the program's income limit, Fitzgerald has saved over $467,000 in tax breaks.

    Lobbyist Armando Saleh, 54, is another example of abuse. He received senior assessment freezes on two Chicago apartment buildings, saving nearly $50,000 over a decade despite being 11 years too young to qualify and violating program rules by applying for exemptions on multiple properties simultaneously. Kaegi's office approved his applications without verifying his household income.

    These lapses follow a similar investigation in 2021 that led to the recovery of $3.1 million from 671 homeowners who were wrongly granted senior freezes. Critics argue that outdated county systems and lack of robust verification measures enable widespread exploitation, while Kaegi's office points to these issues as barriers to effective oversight.