Darryl Lloyd, a resident of a suburban community near Chicago, was left reeling when he received a property tax bill that threatened to upend his life in his modest 1950s-era home.

Lloyd purchased his three-bedroom, one-bathroom house for $115,000 back in 2006, and today, its market value sits just above $180,000. However, the shock came when Cook County officials appraised his property at an astonishing $1 million, leading to a staggering $30,000 property tax bill for the year, as reported by FOX 32.

For Lloyd, who had been paying a mere $1,800 in property taxes previously, this represented an astronomical 3,811% increase. “I was literally devastated when I saw that increase,” Lloyd expressed. “I see 960 square feet. I don’t have a second floor. I don’t have a basement.”

Adding to the confusion was the fact that Lloyd’s neighborhood consists of similarly modest homes, none of which could reasonably command such inflated valuations. “Nothing over here is worth … $1 million,” he emphasized, lamenting that he might have to move in with a relative due to the unaffordable tax burden.

Determined to rectify the situation, Lloyd made his way to the Cook County Tax Assessor’s Office, only to encounter bureaucratic stonewalling. “I went to downtown City Hall, to the assessor’s office. I showed them my taxes, and I told them that I had a substantial increase, and they were like, ‘everybody’s taxes increase,'” Lloyd recounted in frustration.

It was only after FOX 32 intervened on his behalf that the tax assessor’s office admitted fault. A representative clarified the error, attributing it to an unintentional application of an incorrect permit to Lloyd’s property. They assured that a corrected tax bill would be issued promptly.

Unfortunately, Lloyd’s ordeal is not an isolated incident in Cook County. The Cook County Treasurer’s Office identified over 4,400 homes in the south and southwest suburbs where land values were miscalculated by the county assessor. Despite attempts to rectify the mistake before bills were mailed, some homeowners received incorrect assessments.

Reflecting on his experience, Lloyd remarked, “If it happened to me, it probably happened to other people. I’d like to see immediate action.” He has since received a certificate of error and a corrected tax bill for his home.

This issue resonates beyond Illinois. Across the United States, homeowners are grappling with substantial increases in property taxes. In Florida, one woman saw her taxes surge by 174%, from $2,700 to $7,400, prompting her to reconsider her housing plans. In Colorado, longtime residents are selling their homes as newcomers from the pandemic era drive up property values and tax obligations.

As Lloyd and others await resolution, the incident underscores the importance of accurate property assessments and the financial impacts they have on homeowners across the nation. For now, Lloyd hopes that his story will prompt reforms to prevent such taxing errors from affecting others in the future.