Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is sending over $30.5 million in automatic refunds to thousands of Cook County property homeowners this week who overpaid on their taxes last year.

Pappas said nearly half of the refunds will be deposited directly into property owners' accounts during the next three months.

"This service is a huge convenience for homeowners who have overpaid their property taxes," Pappas said in a statement. "Most will not have to file an application, fill out any forms, or deal with any paperwork. They will get their money automatically."

According to the Cook County treasurer's office, the breakdown of automatic refunds shows:

•  About 1,900 homeowners who paid their property taxes online will see a total of $13.1 million electronically deposited to their bank accounts
• About 4,000 homeowners who paid their taxes through a bank/mortgage escrow account will be mailed refund checks totaling $8 million.
• About 2,900 homeowners who paid taxes totaling $9.3 million in cash or by check will receive an electronic refund or will be mailed a refund application to ensure the proper party receives the refund.

Most refunds will go to homeowners receiving property tax exemptions, which are applied to the Second Installment tax bill and reduce the total taxes due. The exemptions include homeowners, senior citizens, senior freezes, and disabled persons. The second installment of 2022 property tax bills was due Dec. 1, 2023.

Property owners can visit cookcountytreasurer.com to see if an automatic refund is coming. You will need to select the purple box labeled "Your Property Tax Overview" and enter your address or 14-digit Property Index Number to check the status of your refunds.