Detailed research by Grafton Township resident reveals highly questionable practices by Assessor Zielinski
This video from this month’s Grafton Township board meeting says it all concerning the race in Grafton Township assessor to be decided at tomorrow’s Republican primary.
Two-term Assessor Al Zielinski of Lakewood faces Terra de Baltz of Huntley.
Lake in the Hills resident John Mueller presents evidence to the township board alleging Zielinski actively does “sales chasing”.
The video, just over 30 minutes, speaks for itself, and all can see Zielinski’s response.
Al got caught again, caught lying, falsifying and fake justifying.
These township pukes know no decency.
They get lowball assessments for themselves and friends and sky high assessment for their political enemies.
It’s called corruption.
wow a few of those are like Madigan!
Raise the taxes, then have a tax contestment business
!
Phil Collins had a song “Both Sides of the Story.”
All viewers will see by watching the posted video is one side of the story presented by someone with no training or experience in any form of real property valuation.
To my knowledge, the author of this post shares the same vacuum of valuation training, experience and credentials.
The give-away is neither the aggressor in the video or the author of this post have a clue that “sales chasing” is an impossibility when using the Market Approach to set valuations.
The basis?
Just an Illinois Supreme Court ruling.
“Illinois courts have consistently held that “a contemporaneous sale between parties dealing at arm’s length is not only relevant to the question of fair cash market value but would be practically conclusive on the issue of whether an assessment was at full value.”
Residential Real Estate Co. v. Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, 188 Ill. App.3d 232, 241, 135 Ill. Dec. 611, 543 N.E.2d 1358 (1989).
So to state “This video … says it all” nullifies the post’s validity from the onset.
If this blog’s readers are interested in learning more of the facts, i.e. the other side of the story, please read my comments on this blog’s link:
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2021/02/22/part-versus-full-time-issue-in-gop-grafton-township-assessor-contest/
An added feature is that post contains my opponent’s open admission she’s not planning to leave her Elgin Township job at all.
“Though I intend to be present as much as possible, I am confident that the implementation of select new processes and my high expectations of my staff to properly communicate with the taxpayers as well as myself, will allow the office to run smoothly full time even in my absence.”
This will be my final comment because I’m content to let the level-headed, educated voters of Grafton Township decide their future.
Option A: Alan Zielinski. Qualified, experienced, proven (by IDoR and Property Tax Code standards) and will actually set foot in the Grafton office.
Option B: the alternative. Minimally qualified, inexperienced, will spend normal hours at Elgin Township and plans to let Grafton’s roughly 22,000 parcel owners rely on some “staff” who will magically appear on 1/3/2022.
Here is an exchange Al had with a County Assessor last summer after being called out for “sales chasing ever since you took office” which originally started out in an exchange about the “clerical errors” that helped to lower the Lakewood President’s home about 46% and how the County was looking to raise it back to where it should have been before the “errors”.
This was not just a resident calling him out about sales chasing, it is the County guy who I believe happened to work for him years earlier in Grafton.
Many more emails to post, just need to find out who is fat man and who is little boy?
I do know that Grafton is the Nagasaki ever since he showed up though.
At the end, you can see that Al knows he is cornered and then deflects blame on his “field work that he inherited”.
Good manager, assess your own subdivision and then blame the errors on your underlings field work.
I am glad I don’t work there, I would be in fat man’s office having a little talk.
From: Assessor@GraftonTownship.us [mailto:Assessor@GraftonTownship.us]
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2020 7:15 PM
To: Alejandro Benitez
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] FW: 9619 S Muirfield Dr – Steffan/ Home Value
Alex,
No offense taken.
I view our discussions as two highly intelligent professionals expressing alternative perspectives much two physicists discussing the merits of Fat Man vs. Little Boy.
As long as you don’t call me a dog-turd-eating-moron, I’ll maintain my appreciation of your insights (and even contrarian views).
“The first is that you have been singling out sales ever since you took office.”
As a fellow appraiser, I didn’t think you would find that surprising.
Why would I value a property differently as an assessor than I would as an appraiser?
That’s I installed the Market Approach when I took office: it’s the most accurate means of determining value when the data are available.
In just about all cases, they are.
As to sale price setting value, I’ll further rely on the Illinois Supreme Court’s germane ruling in Residential Real Estate.
“Fair cash value is normally associated with fair market value, i.e. what the property would bring at a voluntary sale where the owner is ready, willing and able to sell, but not compelled to do so, and the buyer is likewise ready, willing and able to buy, but not forced to do so. See, e.g., People ex rel. McGaughey v. Wilson, 367 Ill. 494, 12 N.E.2d 5 (1937). Illinois courts have consistently held that “a contemporaneous sale between parties dealing at arm’s length is not only relevant to the question of fair cash market value but would be practically conclusive on the issue of whether an assessment was at full value.” Residential Real Estate Co. v. Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, 188 Ill. App.3d 232, 241, 135 Ill. Dec. 611, 543 N.E.2d 1358 (1989).” Walsh v. State Property Tax Appeal Board 286 Ill. App.3d 895, 222 Ill. Dec. 286, 677 N.E.2d 491 (1997).
Regarding uniformity, because all residential parcels from all neighborhoods in Grafton Township use the exact same market-based approach, uniformity is assured not only on a neighborhood basis but even a township-wide basis.
“Your model did not really capture the nuanced values of ranch homes in this specific market.”
A major disconnect between the Board and me.
In a land of custom homes functional utility, not design, reigns supreme.
A 2,500 sf two-story has equivalent functional utility to a 2,500 sf ranch (all other functional utility elements being equal which they are either via multiple regression or manual adjustments for simple regression).
We will reconfirm the GLAs for both parcels, thank you for your suggestion.
Perhaps I’ve been too trusting of all the field work I inherited.
In closing, attached is some tequila reading material.
I wrote the brief back in 2014 in response to some shenanigans dealing with the treatment of another “special” parcel.
It’d be a pleasure to discuss it in detail over said tequila some evening (or weekend afternoon) with (I redacted wife) and you.
Sorry Al, Anyone that values an all brick home with a finished, walk out basement and a pool on a golf course lot so low that it drops the tax bill from $14,000 to $7,000 per year is NOT qualified for the position of assessor.
Al is the poster oaf of Township assessors.
Get rid of nearly all township assessors like Indiana did in 2010.
Somehow they were kept in the few townships of negroid majority.
But the state legislature continue to fight the corrupt negroid townships:
https://fox59.com/news/indiana-house-votes-to-eliminate-all-township-assessor-offices/
Here is some more fun for the class.
For January’s Grafton Township meeting, Al was taken to task because he valued a Grafton Township home at $300k for a bank appraisal, but assessed it at $487k. A full $187k difference. Then when the homeowners turned in said appraisal for an appeal, Al fought and tried discredit his own appraisal.
So…Al was arguing with himself.
Oh, and he is not supposed to be appraising where he’s an assessor.
Also…he didn’t disclose on the bank appraisal that he was also assessor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdHip8amwNc
No level of schooling or training can account for that level of dumbassery.
GTLA, isn’t that like being the prosecutor and the public defender for the same defendant?
Hypo….Judge Ross at the hearing asks, how should I decide this case?
Public Defender Zielinski stands up, responds, your Honor, I appraised this and I believe you should rule in favor of my client in the amount of 300k.
Judge Ross then looks at the prosecutor’s table and asks what he should do?
Zielinski drops his hat, runs over to the Prosecutor’s table and puts on the Prosecutors hat and says, Judge, Prosecutor Zielinski here, I believe you should rule in favor of the ASSessor because a tradesman was seen in the driveway at the defendant’s house recently so I believe you should rule with my Guessessment in the amount of 487k.
Judge Ross shakes his head, slams his gavel down and admonishes Zielinski for trying to have it both ways….Next case
Good riddance Al. Fat Al Jourdan can’t protect you now.
Hey Al. I FARE you to answer my post here after I publicly addressed your attempts at stolen valor. You were there last night, and you sheepishly did not address the concerns I brought up regarding your claims of 3 purple hearts and combat experience as a member of my beloved Marine Corps. To all seeing this post – Attached, is my public comment on Al Zielinski at the Ela Township meeting last night (Al was voted OUT of Grafton Township on a rail last election by 90% of the voters & who has somehow squirmed his way into Ela Township in Lake County. He is now claiming to be a combat veteran in his effort at getting jobs.
I (and others) did a FOIA request of the Marine Corps & the Federal Govt…. and according to them – Mr. Zielinski had NOT served in the Marine Corps (hr went into OCS in 1970 & failed to complete it). This is the man who also “sales chased” as a Grafton County Assessor and caused me to fight back a doubling my home’s assessment over 4 years ago (I won on appeal).
But here is the rub….. he is now claiming he is a Marine Corps combat veteran AND that he has 3 purple hearts. That he also became a sgt in 6 months.
Ela township hired him last week without doing a full background check. A Veteran (who had been the Ela Township assessor at one time) was BYPASSED by the Ela Township board.
https://youtu.be/r8pmT843EjY?t=713
Hey Al. I DARE you to answer my post here after I publicly addressed your attempts at stolen valor. You were there last night, and you sheepishly did not address the concerns I brought up regarding your claims of 3 purple hearts and combat experience as a member of my beloved Marine Corps. To all seeing this post – Attached, is my public comment on Al Zielinski at the Ela Township meeting last night (Al was voted OUT of Grafton Township on a rail last election by 90% of the voters & who has somehow squirmed his way into Ela Township in Lake County. He is now claiming to be a combat veteran in his effort at getting jobs.
I (and others) did a FOIA request of the Marine Corps & the Federal Govt…. and according to them – Mr. Zielinski had NOT served in the Marine Corps (hr went into OCS in 1970 & failed to complete it). This is the man who also “sales chased” as a Grafton County Assessor and caused me to fight back a doubling my home’s assessment over 4 years ago (I won on appeal).
But here is the rub….. he is now claiming he is a Marine Corps combat veteran AND that he has 3 purple hearts. That he also became a sgt in 6 months.
Ela township hired him last week without doing a full background check. A Veteran (who had been the Ela Township assessor at one time) was BYPASSED by the Ela Township board.
https://youtu.be/r8pmT843EjY?t=713
Can the FOIA be shared?
Al Zielinski was removed from office last night (& his name has been removed from the Ela Township website this morning).
Engage in stolen valor, win stupid prizes. The thing is, the investigation continues…
Yes Al, you have reaped the whirlwind (3 purple hearts, my a$$).
C’mon Al. Tell me all about my not being properly educated about the USMC…..
You lied, and lied, & lied. The combat buddy getting his arm swallowed by a snake was a special touch (great story, not one combat Vietnam veteran I know has such a story…. was that when you got your purple heart (while in College)? During the year of special ops? You couldn’t even finish basic training…. your FOIA sez so.
You couldn’t even look me in the eyes when I dressed you down in front of your peers & confronted you directly. A real hero who served – would have slugged me (for what I said to you).
A pathetic human being you are……. & I’m not done yet with you. A light will SHINE on your stolen valor. You see, I AM a MARINE (I served almost 7 years of honorable service). I actually HAVE a Rifle EXPERT badge (2 awards), and my best score at the rifle range was a 237. ALL verifiable. I even have my rifle range notebook still (showing what I shot for the week on each day).
You were a “marksman”? I laugh at your “prowess”.
You picked the wrong state in which to engage in stolen valor. That you ended up in my township is your largest mistake (& pulling your sales chasing assessment schemes to increase my assessment – a fatal error on your part). Because that put you on my radar. The fact that you were voted out of Grafton Township by a 90% margin and then you tried the same thing in Ela Township (thinking you could pull a fast one on Ela Township voters by sneaking in the backdoor via the township board – using stolen valor as your key to the job to yank it away from an actual honorable veteran)? A Yuuuuuuge mistake.
I’m not done with you, and the harder I push – the more crap spills out regarding your made up work history.
Al? Al? No speech about my being someone with no training or experience in any form of real world time spent in the USMC?
No?
That’d be…… YOU. The effort continues (and I know you lurk these comment sections for any hint your name is mentioned). Thing is, NOW the pendulum is swinging and you have zero power – over anyone or anything. And soon, the light of day regarding your stolen valor activities will be shining…… much like the slide you used to impress your previous employees. Maybe you’ll post on this blog & regale us with the story of the large snake you encountered or the 3 purple hearts you were “awarded”.