<div class="body"> <p> Cook County guidelines allow only one party the right to process an appeal for a given property whether that person is the owner of record or a hired representative. </p> <p> Often time’s homeowners will start the appeal process on their own only to realize they’re in over their heads. Gathering evidence for a successful reduction is a daunting task even for most professionals. Perhaps you, as a homeowner, are simply dissatisfied with the level of customer service offered by companies that specialize in sending out fliers. Both the Cook County Assessor’s office and the Board of Review have fairly simple procedures for correcting these missteps through a “substitution of representation form”. The form is divided into two halves. One if the appeal is filed by a taxpayer, the other if filed by an attorney representing the taxpayer. </p> <p> If you, as the taxpayer, filed the appeal, you need only sign on the line indicating that you are withdrawing your individual appearance. Your new attorney then enters an appearance on your behalf by signing the same document. The attorney will file the form with their appeal package. </p> <p> Likewise if you are switching representation, you will need to sign the authorization line allowing for the withdrawal and substitution of the attorneys. Typically the new attorney will forward this form to the old attorney for his or her signature. This is standard operating procedure so a homeowner never needs to feel like they are trapped. </p> <p> <b>1 form – 1 signature by the taxpayer.</b> Problem solved. It’s that simple. </p> <p> A substitution form can be filed up until the re-review period of the appeal process. You should always review the terms of the previous contract to ensure there are no cancellation fees. </p> </div>