Cook County Assessor's Office Sends Response To Suburban Couple's Property Tax Appeal To Thousands Of Homeowners

(CBS) -- A homeowner isn't buying the explanation that a computer error is responsible for an email responding to her property tax appeal being sent to thousands of homeowners.

Kathy Elwood and her husband filed a property tax appeal on their old home in Oak Park. They have since moved to an apartment in Elmhurst.

Last Monday, she got a confirmation email from the Cook County assessor's office saying their appeal had been received. So did 2,200 other homeowners.

The assessor's office said a computer is responsible for the Elmwood's confirmation being sent to everyone who filed a property tax appeal.

Elwood said the assessor's office told her that the problem was fixed after a couple of hours.

"Whether or not it stopped totally, I don't know," she said. "Since nobody knows how it started nobody can tell me how it won't start again."

Elwood got hundreds of emails and calls telling her about her tax appeal and she said that is unsettling.

Assessor spokesman Tom Shaer says Elwood told his office that she received no emails from strangers about her tax appeal. She did receive one from a neighbor. Shaer says the office informed Elwood last Tuesday that the problem was fixed shortly after it was discovered and Elwood received reassurances that the problem was not going to continue.