Griffith man makes tax officials pay for bad home assessment

March 24--GRIFFITH -- Edward Trzupek's bilevel may look modest from the street, but it has loomed much larger in the eyes of the tax man.

Trzupek has spent the first three months of 2014 trying to convince Lake County officials they have been erroneously taxing him for a home twice the size of the one he and his wife, Janet, had been living in the past 41 years.

"I'm getting no help from anybody, and I've been paying through the nose," the retired Navy veteran complained earlier.

But last week, County Assessor Jolie Covaciu said she has heard his complaint, and the paperwork is underway for the county to refund him three years of overtaxing.

Trzupek said he is glad of that, but his records indicate the county owes him back to 2004 when his property taxes inexplicably doubled. "This may open up a can of worms. There could by a lot of homes and people paying more than they should around the county," Trzupek said.

Covaciu inherited a backlog of 5,500 appeals based on formal complaints of inaccurate assessments, some dating back as far as 2007. She said that since taking office in November, "I've cut it down to 3,000 in four months by eliminating some unnecessary steps.

"I told my office that I encourage people to (informally) inquire about their assessments any day we are open because if we can get these resolved without the appeal process, then it will save time, energy and resources," she said.

Covaciu said of the miscalculations that victimized Trzupek, "It rarely happens. It was some miscommunication ... a minor human error. It was Calumet Township's and they did take care of it, not right away, but (Tuesday) when Bob (Metz, a deputy county assessor) brought it to their attention."

Jackie Collins, Calumet Township assessor, said Friday her staff began correcting Trzupek's assessment last January when he first called.

Edward Gholson, Collins' chief deputy, said a combination of technical errors during the 2012 assessment resulted in the wrong assessment. He said recent staff reductions have resulted in it taking longer to conduct the field investigation and recalculation of Trzupek's home.

Gholson said Trzupek waited too late to claim erroneous taxes back to 2004. State law requires appeals to be made within three years of the error.

Trzupek said he couldn't have been expected to notice the excessive tax increase. It happened the year his mortgage company stopped making the payment and he started managing the account, so he didn't realize his taxes had jumped hundreds of dollars during the transition.

It was finally brought to his attention late last year by a homeowner's insurance salesman. "I was going to change my home insurance company. The gentleman helping me looked at the property and he told me this can't be right.

"They had me at 2,572 square feet," but his living space was only 1,092 square feet, according to old tax record he had filed away, but only recently examined.

He said he first contacted the county assessor's office in Crown Point and was directed in mid-January to the Calumet Township assessor's office, where he demanded they take action, complaining, "I'm handicapped and on a fixed income."

He said the township employee "admitted there was an error and they might send someone out to recalculate. But weeks and weeks (had) gone by and no one came," he said.

He returned to the county assessor's office in February and spoke to Robert Metz, who said township records showed he had built an extension recently. An exasperated Trzupek said he was convinced everybody there must be looking at the wrong house.

His frustration finally ended last week when Metz called to say he had contacted the township assessor's office and learned they had begun the paperwork to correct it.

County officials said Trzupek will receive an official form, which he must sign to approve his new, lower assessment, and return the form to the township, which will forward it to the county assessor's office, which will alert the county auditor.

Auditor Peggy Katona, whose office has no role in assessing, but does help calculate tax bills, said Friday she will cut his refund check as soon as the paperwork reaches her staff.

Covaciu, Collins and Katona are all running for election this year. Covaciu is running for her first full term. Collins is running for re-election. Katona is running for county treasurer.

Trzupek said the final disappointment is that he was told he will have to pay income tax on his refund.

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