Renters in Rock Island County are saying they’re being treated unfairly by the Rock Island County assessor.

An Illinois appellate court ruling last July says Rock Island County can’t prevent people who rent houses from claiming a homestead exemption

But now people are saying they’re faced with a new challenge.

Renters are eligible for homestead exemptions if they’re the ones paying property taxes on the home.

People who have been leasing their homes with First Financial have been fighting for their homestead tax break for the past four years.

Some renters who are paying these taxes are angry that the assessor’s office is making them clear another hurdle.

“It’s just illegal,” Karen DeSmet, a Rock Island renter said. He needs to be stopped, Rock Island County needs to stop allowing him to do this when everything he’s doing is illegal. It’s against Illinois law. The county cannot override Illinois law.”

Last week Karen DeSmet says she received a letter claiming she had to have her lease recorded at the recorder’s office–a $65 charge.

“People can’t make normal business hours. So they’re losing money by having to take off work, in order to record this lease that they shouldn’t have to record.”

Rock Island County assessor Larry Wilson sent out the letter on December 9th.

The letter said that the recording needed to be done by the end of the month to be able to receive the homestead tax break, which could cost DeSmet almost $600.

Theresa Kilgore, a renter in Moline, has also been fighting for her homestead tax break, as well as a disability exemption.

She said those could save her around $800 each year.

Kilgore says that she renewed her lease contract last may, but she’s only just now being notified about needing to record the lease.

“I just don’t understand why the county has taken so long to decide what they want us to do,” Kilgore said. “Why didn’t they address the letter sooner. they can’t say it’s because it’s just the first time I’ve applied for the homestead exemption because we’ve been applying since at least ’15.”

Local 4 News Spoke with rock island county chief assessor larry wilson and he confirmed the details of the letter.

While he declined going on camera, he told us the recording mandate is in line with a county resolution that took effect in 2010.

The County resolution is an additional rule to the current state mandates, which can be found here.