Rice v. Fulton County GA

BASIC INFORMATION

1. What is this about?

   This website explains that the Court has allowed, or “certified” a class action lawsuit that may affect you if you are a person or entity who purchased property in Fulton County, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, and/or Roswell in 2015; whose tax assessments for the following years were overridden from the fair market value assessments generated by the Fulton County Board of Assessors Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (“CAMA”) system to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the Class members paid for their property; and who paid property taxes to Fulton County based on those assessments for tax years 2016 and/or 2017.

   Judge Belinda Edwards of the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia is overseeing this lawsuit. The lawsuit is known as Rice, et al. v. Fulton County, Georgia, et al., Case No. 2018CV305307.

   Back To Top
2. What is this lawsuit about?

   The lawsuit alleges Defendants illegally assessed and collected taxes on real property for the tax years 2016 and 2017. Plaintiffs allege the Fulton County Board of Assessors overrode fair market value system assessments and increased assessments on those properties that sold in 2015 based on the purchase price while leaving unchanged the vast majority of assessments for properties that had not sold in that year resulting in assessments that were not uniform or equalized in violation of the Georgia Constitution Art. 7, §1.

   Defendants deny the legal claims and deny any wrongdoing or liability. No court or other judicial entity has made any judgment or other determination of any wrongdoing by Defendants, or that any law has been violated.

   Back To Top
3. What is a class action?

   In a class action lawsuit, one or more people, entities, or businesses (called class representatives) sue on behalf of all people who have similar legal claims. Together, all these people are called a class or class members. One court resolves the issues for all class members, except for those class members who timely exclude themselves (opt out) from the class.

   The Class Representatives in this lawsuit are Plaintiffs Adam Rice, Felicia Moore, Kristen Mazola, Mario Artesiano, Dham Gupta, Timothy Williamson, Adam Smith, and Pete Humphreys.

   Back To Top
4. Has the Court decided who is right?

   The Court has not decided whether the Plaintiffs or Defendants are right. By establishing the Class and providing the Notice, the Court has not decided and is not suggesting that Plaintiffs will win or lose this lawsuit. The parties have a chance to prove or disprove their legal claims and/or defenses. The Plaintiffs must prove their legal claims at a trial.

   Back To Top
5. What are the Plaintiffs asking for?

   The Plaintiffs are asking for reimbursement of the amount overpaid in taxes for the Class members as a result of the FCBA’s override of the fair market value assessments to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the class members paid for their property along with pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as decided by the Court, and attorneys’ fees and costs for Class Counsel.

   Back To Top
6. Is there money or benefits available now?

   No money or benefits are available now. The Court has not decided whether Defendants did anything wrong, and Plaintiffs and Defendants have not settled the lawsuit. There is no guarantee that money or benefits will be obtained in the future. You will be notified if money or benefits become available.

   You can stay informed of the progress of this lawsuit by visiting this website.

   Back To Top

WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE LAWSUIT?

7. Am I part of the Class?

   The County Class is defined as: All persons or entities who purchased property in Fulton County, Georgia, in 2015; whose tax assessments for the following years were overridden from the fair market value assessments generated by the Fulton County Board of Assessors’ CAMA system to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the class members paid for their property; and who paid property taxes to Fulton County, Georgia, The City of Atlanta, The City of Alpharetta, The City of Johns Creek, The City of Milton and The City of Roswell based on those assessments for tax years 2016 and/or 2017.

   The City of Atlanta Subclass is defined as: All persons or entities who purchased property in the City of Atlanta, in 2015; whose tax assessments for the following years were overridden from the fair market value assessments generated by the Fulton County Board of Assessors’ CAMA system to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the class members paid for their property; and who paid property taxes to The City of Atlanta based on those assessments for tax years 2016 and/or 2017.

   The City of Alpharetta Subclass is defined as: All persons or entities who purchased property in the City of Alpharetta, in 2015; whose tax assessments for the following years were overridden from the fair market value assessments generated by the Fulton County Board of Assessors’ CAMA system to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the class members paid for their property; and who paid property taxes to The City of Alpharetta based on those assessments for tax years 2016 and/or 2017.

   The City of Milton Subclass is defined as: All persons or entities who purchased property in the City of Milton, in 2015; whose tax assessments for the following years were overridden from the fair market value assessments generated by the Fulton County Board of Assessors’ CAMA system to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the class members paid for their property; and who paid property taxes to The City of Milton based on those assessments for tax years 2016 and/or 2017.

   The City of Roswell Subclass is defined as: All persons or entities who purchased property in the City of Roswell, in 2015; whose tax assessments for the following years were overridden from the fair market value assessments generated by the Fulton County Board of Assessors’ CAMA system to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the class members paid for their property; and who paid property taxes to The City of Roswell based on those assessments for tax years 2016 and/or 2017.

   The City of Johns Creek Subclass is defined as: All persons or entities who purchased property in the City of Johns Creek in 2015; whose tax assessments for the following years were overridden from the fair market value assessments generated by the Fulton County Board of Assessors’ CAMA system to higher amounts equal to or within $100 of the sales price the class members paid for their property; and who paid property taxes to The City of Johns Creek based on those assessments for tax years 2016 and/or 2017.

   Back To Top
8. Are there exceptions to being included in the Class?

   Yes. Excluded from the Class are: (i) Defendants; (ii) all persons who make a timely election to be excluded from the Class; and (iii) the Judge and their immediate family.

   Back To Top
9. What if I am still not sure if I am in the Class?

   If you are still not sure if you are included in the Class, you can get free help using the contact information on this website or by writing to the lawyers in this lawsuit.

   Back To Top

YOUR RIGHTS AND OPTIONS

You must decide whether to stay in the class or ask to be excluded (and keep your right to sue Defendants in your own separate lawsuit).

10. What happens if I do nothing at all?

    You do not have to do anything now if you want to keep the possibility of getting money or benefits from this lawsuit in the future. By doing nothing, you are staying in the Class and if the Plaintiffs obtain money or benefits in the future, you will be notified about how to get your share. If you do nothing now, you will not be able to sue Defendants—as part of any other lawsuit—about the same legal claims in this lawsuit. You will also be legally bound by the orders and judgments the Court makes.

    Back To Top

11. Why would I ask to be excluded?

    If you want to sue Defendants on your own regarding the same legal claims in this lawsuit, or already have your own lawsuit against Defendants regarding the same legal claims in this lawsuit and you want to continue with it, you need to ask to be excluded from the Class. If you exclude or remove yourself from the Class—sometimes called “opting out” of the Class—you will not get any money or benefits from this lawsuit even if Plaintiffs win at trial or there is a settlement. However, you may be able to sue or continue to sue Defendants on your own. If you exclude yourself, you will not be legally bound by the Court’s judgments in this class action lawsuit.

    If you start your own lawsuit or continue with an existing lawsuit against Defendants regarding the same legal claims in this lawsuit after you exclude yourself, you will have to hire your own lawyer(s) for that lawsuit, and you will have to prove your legal claims. If you do exclude yourself so you can start or continue your own lawsuit against Defendants, you should talk to your own lawyer soon, because your legal claims may be subject to a statute of limitations, meaning that you may face a deadline after which you cannot sue.

    
    Back To Top
12. How do I ask the Court to exclude me from the Class??

    To exclude yourself from the class, you must fill out and submit an “Exclusion Request” using the form available on this website, or by sending a letter by mail, which includes the following:

    1. Your name, address, telephone number, and email address (if any);

    2. A statement that you want to be excluded from the Class, such as “I hereby request to be excluded from the Class in Rice et al. v. Fulton County, Georgia et al.;” and

    3. Your personal physical signature.

    
    

    The exclusion request must be filled out on the website here or by printing, completing and mailing the form available here to the Notice Administrator at the following address, and postmarked by September 30, 2025:

    Rice et al. v. Fulton County, Georgia et al.
    Notice Administrator
    PO Box 4850
    Portland, OR 97208-4850

    You cannot opt out (exclude yourself) by telephone or by email.

    “Mass” or “class” requests for exclusion filed by third parties on behalf of a “mass” or “class” of Class members or multiple Class members where the opt out hasn’t been signed by each and every individual Class member will not be allowed.

    Back To Top

THE LAWYERS REPRESENTING YOU

13. Do I have a lawyer in this lawsuit?

    Yes, the Court has appointed the law firms of Knight Palmer, LLC, The Hillis Firm, Conley Griggs Partin, LLP and G. Roger Land & Associates as Class Counsel to represent the Class for purposes of this lawsuit. You will not be charged for these lawyers. You may hire your own lawyer at your own cost and expense if you want someone other than Class Counsel to represent you in this lawsuit.

    Back To Top
14. Should I get my own lawyer?

    You do not need to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel will be working on your behalf. But, if you want your own lawyer, you can hire your own lawyer at your own expense. For example, you can ask them to appear in Court for you if you want someone other than Class Counsel to speak for you.

    Back To Top
15. How will the lawyers be paid?

    If Class Counsel gets money or benefits for the Class, they may ask the Court for an award of attorneys’ fees and expenses. You will not have to personally pay these attorneys’ fees and expenses. If the Court grants Class Counsel’s request, the attorneys’ fees and expenses will either be deducted from any money obtained for the Class or paid separately by the Defendants.

    Back To Top

THE TRIAL

16. How and when will the Court decide who is right?

    In the event that the judge decides there are issues to be determined by a jury, Plaintiffs will have to prove their legal claims at a trial. The trial has not been scheduled. During the trial, a Judge and Jury will hear all of the evidence to help them reach a decision about whether Plaintiffs or Defendants are right about the legal claims in the lawsuit. There is no guarantee that the Plaintiffs will win, or that they will get any money or benefits for the Class.

    Back To Top
17. Do I have to attend the trial?

    No. You do not need to attend the trial. Class Counsel will present the case for the Plaintiffs and the Class, and lawyers for Defendants will present on their behalf. You or your own lawyer may attend at your own expense.

    Back To Top
18. How will I get money after the trial?

    If Plaintiffs obtain money or benefits as a result of the lawsuit, and you remain in the Class, you will be notified about how to participate to receive money or benefits. It is unknown how long this will take. Information will be posted on this website as it becomes available.

    Back To Top

GETTING MORE INFORMATION

19. How do I get more information about the lawsuit?

    This website summarizes the lawsuit and your legal rights. You can get additional information by writing to the Notice Administrator at:

    Rice et al. v. Fulton County, Georgia et al.
    Notice Administrator
    PO Box 4850
    Portland, OR 97208-4850

    Back To Top

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT REGARDING THE NOTICE OR THIS WEBSITE.