Home & Property

The Homeowner’s Guide was designed to assist in the more common home improvements. This guide is intended to be used for example purposes only. Please check with the Building Department for any zoning or construction questions.

The section on Point of Sale Process is intended to help guide you through the sale of a home in Willowick. The sewer system drawings are of the most common configurations and are not necessarily the same as your sewers.

For additional information, please call the City of Willowick Building Department at (440)-516-3000.

Lake County Land Bank 

The Lake County Land Bank (also known as the Land Reutilization Corporation) has a primary mission of disposing of properties in such a way as to improve the quality of neighborhoods, increase land values, create diverse housing and/or economic opportunities and return properties to the tax rolls.  Properties listed on their website as available are most often vacant and/or unimproved parcels for which they have obtained a clear title.  For more information and a listing of those properties, please see the Lake County Land Bank's website.

Homestead Exemption Information for Senior Citizens 

If you are 65 or older or disabled, you may be eligible to lower your real estate property taxes.  For more information, visit the Lake County Auditor’s Homestead Exemption website.

Lake County Communities Shoreline Special Improvement District (SID)

Property owners in Ohio whose properties lying along the shoreline of Lake Erie or an inland water source that have incurred or are otherwise exposed to or threatened by damage from erosion may be able to obtain assistance in financing erosion control improvements through the Lake County Communities Shoreline Special Improvement District (“SID”).

     The basic concept behind the SID allows property owners to pay for the costs of constructing and installing erosion control measures on their properties by agreeing to accept the levy of a special assessment on their property and paying the assessment over a period of years.  The advantages of this tool include:

             1.  Favorable financing terms obtained through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds on behalf of the SID.

             2.  Special assessment runs with the property as opposed to an individual obligations of the property                            owner.

             3.  No need to secure private financing for projects by individual property owners.

             4. Allows for collaboration among neighbors to combat the devastating effects of erosion and realization                    of cost savings.                  

      If your property is located in one of the following communities, you are already eligible to participate in the erosion control SID program by filing a petition described below under “How to Proceed”:

***Lake County: City of Eastlake, City of Willowick, City of Willoughby, City of Mentor, North Perry Village, Village of Mentor-on-the-Lake, Village of Lakeline, Village of Fairport Harbor, Village of Timberlake, Perry Township, Painesville Township and Madison Township.

***Cuyahoga County: City of Euclid.

***Ashtabula County: Geneva-on-the-Lake and Geneva Township.

How to Proceed: 

A property owner desiring to participate in an erosion control project through the SID can obtain the required petition form from their city, village or township or at sidlakecounty@gmail.com.  Once a property owner has the plans and estimates of cost for their project, they must complete the petition and submit it to their city, village or township for processing.

 Basic Terms of the Assessment:      

       The special assessment levied upon the properties will be for a period of years coinciding with the number of years the tax-exempt bonds are issued for the SID.  Currently, the available assessment period is up to 15 years.

Schedule/Timeline:

***January 1 through April 30  – Petitions must be submitted to the SID and community. Petitions must be completed and signed by applicant property owner.  Property owners should have plans, specifications, costs and description of the erosion control project included in the Petition.  Incomplete petitions cannot be processed.

***May 1 through June 30 - Communities consider and pass necessary assessment legislation.

***July 1 through August 15 – Property owners notified of final assessment to be levied on their properties and final project amounts are fixed.  Bond funding issued.

***September 1  -  Property owners notified that funding is available for their projects and disbursement request forms are distributed to property owners.  Payment is subject to the submission of a fully-completed disbursement request form.  Incomplete forms cannot be processed. Special assessments on the property will be certified to applicable county for collection prior to funds being made available to the property owner.

KEEP IN MIND:

     Special assessments will begin to be collected on the properties in the tax year following certification and will run for 15 years.  They are payable at the same time and in the same manner as real property taxes on the property.