SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — Senior advocate Ellen Miller-Mapp says what may sound like a small amount to some, is a hefty price associated with a possible tax lien to others.
“Most seniors don’t have that kind of money sitting around just waiting for an opportunity to pay the tax commissioners,” Miller-Mapp said.
Miller-Mapp told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln she’s heard from seniors concerned about the threat of a tax lien against their property if they fall behind on their Fulton County sanitation bill.
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Homeowners are now required to pay the $233.16 annual bill.
The process of billing is a new form of collection for South Fulton homeowners.
The city went with a single trash provider in 2023, after city-wide complaints from homeowners about inconsistent trash collection services from independent contractors.
Miller–Mapp says some seniors who were with previous providers were paying less than the new rate.
Last month, Channel 2 Action News reported homeowners overpaying the Fulton County tax commissioner after learning the mortgage company also paid the fee.
“That now becomes a tax levy, it’s forced on you,” Miller-Mapp said.
Fulton County says a homeowner will face fees that could result in a tax lien against their property if payments are unpaid.
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The tax commissioner’s office says bills were not mailed to mortgage companies.
The county says most mortgage companies proactively seek bills tied to customers’ accounts and pay them voluntarily out of escrow.
The county says they’re in the process of mailing checks for refunds for accounts that were overpaid.
The county suggests homeowners contact their mortgage companies first to see if they paid prior to paying out of pocket.
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