Property taxes on ‘Home Alone’ house jump 57% in 1 year

The current owners Kevin McCallister’s house from “Home Alone” will pay more than $50,000 in property taxes this year. Illinoisans pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation on average.

The house used in “Home Alone” is one of Illinois’ more famous spots, but while the “Wet Bandits” won’t try to break in this holiday season, Illinois property taxes still rob from the owners.

This year, the owners of 671 Lincoln Ave. in Winnetka, Illinois, will pay $50,066 in property taxes, a 57% increase from the previous year’s bills.

The county estimate for the property’s value is $2,328,140. In the movie, youngster Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind from the family vacation. Burglars hit the neighborhood. Kevin fends them off with a series of booby traps, but there’s no deterring the taxman.

Illinoisans on average pay the second-highest property tax rates in the nation behind only New Jersey. Property taxes from the house support 15 different taxing districts. It’s part of Illinois’ trend of bloated government units, leading the nation with nearly 7,000 separate units.

Cook County property tax bills were sent out months after when they’re usually due in August, forcing residents to fork over the cash during the holidays. The second installment was due Dec. 1.

Property tax increases hit low-income households the hardest because wealthier homeowners can hire an attorney to appeal their bills.

Rising pension debt, high property taxes and falling property values are a perfect storm for Illinois homeowners. It makes homeownership less attainable, and other states more desirable.

Protecting homes starts with lawmakers, whose priorities should be to make sure families have homes that aren’t robbed of value by local public pensions driving property taxes ever higher while public services suffer.