East Point wins full amount of damages in property tax dispute with county

Client(s) City of East Point, Georgia

Jones Day represented the City of East Point, Georgia in a suit against Fulton County and its Tax Commissioner for misappropriating and diverting nearly $3 million in property tax collections due to the city, in violation of a Tax Collection Agreement. The county diverted the funds to help fund a settlement agreement it had negotiated with AT&T, without East Point's knowledge or approval. After more than five years of litigation, and two trips to the Court of Appeals, East Point was awarded its full amount of damages, and in addition the county was assessed nearly $300,000 in frivolous appeal penalties.

City of East Point, Georgia v. Fulton County, Georgia; Arthur Ferdinand, Fulton County Tax Commissioner; and Fulton County Board of Tax Assessors, No. 2004-CV-93632 (Super. Ct., Fulton Cty., Ga.); Arthur Ferdinand and Fulton County, Georgia v. City of East Point, Georgia, 301 Ga. App. 333 (2010)