Midlothian Village President Gary L’Heureux took homeowner exemptions on two properties under his name over the past several years, according to property records.

L’Heureux said he mistakenly took the exemption, that cuts the equalized assessed valuation of a home by $10,000 for a homeowner’s principal residence, for two properties almost every year since he bought his second home in 2020. He has since contacted the Cook County assessor’s office to correct the issue.

L’Heureux, who has been village president since 2017, said he lived at his single-story, 1,147-square-foot home on Lawndale Avenue for about 30 years before purchasing a larger home on Kildare Avenue. His son now lives at the Lawndale property, which L’Heureux said he hopes to sell soon.

L’Heureux’s tax exemption for his Kildare home was automatically removed the year after he purchased it. He applied for a certificate of error to receive that exemption afterward, which took effect in 2022. He said he thought the exemption would automatically be dropped on his Lawndale home as it was no longer considered his primary residence.

“It just seems like it would be automatic that the homeowner’s exemption would be taken off of your secondary residence,” L’Heureux said. “Clearly, that doesn’t happen.”

L’Heureux said he was only made aware of the double exemptions after being contacted by the Daily Southtown and said he was grateful for the notification. The county assessor’s office confirmed he has contacted them to correct the issue.

According to property tax records, L’Heureux saved nearly $3,000 on his taxes on the Lawndale home for the 2022 and 2023 tax years. How much was saved for prior years is no longer available on the treasurer’s office website.

But L’Heureux said the more important issue is how historically high property taxes in the south suburbs affects overall economic development as well as individual homeowners.

“The property taxes in the Southland in general are exorbitant,” L’Heureux said. “We’re having a hard time attracting and a hard time keeping retail businesses because their property taxes are so high. Our senior citizens are having a hard time staying in their homes even though they’re paid off.”

L’Heureux said he is happy he was able to get his double exemption resolved quickly, “but some people can’t, and that’s the bigger story.”

ostevens@chicagotribune.com