ATLANTA — A metro Atlanta church in danger of being sold on the courthouse steps in a matter of days because of a tax debt is getting a reprieve after a Channel 2 Action News story.
Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray caught up with Pastor Jahmaul Williams of Solid Rock Christian Ministries as he was about to hand deliver documents proving the church’s tax-exempt status to the Fulton County Tax Assessor.
“We have our 501c3 paperwork, we have bylaws, we have articles of incorporation. We’re recognized through the IRS as well as the state to be tax exempt,” Williams said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Two weeks ago, Channel 2 Action News Investigates told you how the church was in danger of losing its home of four decades on rapidly gentrifying Huff Road in Northwest Atlanta.
After decades of being exempt from property taxes, Fulton County started charging the church taxes in 2017.
But for years, nobody at the church was aware of that.
The tax debt was then sold to a third party, Investa Services.
Investa informed the church it would be sold at auction on the courthouse steps the first Tuesday in August if the church did not pay more than $67,000 in taxes, interest, and fees. But Investa has pulled the sale and put the auction on hold.
“Having someone listen and not just discount what you’re saying and say, we don’t want to hear it. That makes all the world of difference when you get your voice heard,” Williams said.
Fulton County revoked the church’s exemption because of the way its title is recorded as “Johnson Carrie Administrator for church.”
That’s the name of the church’s first pastor who died in 1988.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Amber Alert issued for 2-month-old girl believed to be with armed and dangerous man
- 16-year-old killed in DeKalb shooting was little brother of airman killed by Florida deputies
- 9-year-old girl dead, 4 other kids seriously hurt while driver leaves GA crash site
Without an impending sale of the property over the tax bill, the church is now working to sort out that mix-up with the county.
“Having the sale pulled, with the grace that god has granted us. We are very happy with that. We’re just praying that we can continue this process so that we can continue to prove that we are, in fact, tax-exempt,” Williams said.
Church leaders want the public to know they have not solicited for help or ask for donations.
Websites popping up online fundraising for the church are scams.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
IN OTHER NEWS:
©2024 Cox Media Group
