Post by Miss Thang on Feb 13, 2010 12:07:01 GMT -5
Brantley County Property Appraiser under investigation
Posted by JMHO on 2/12/2010, 1:21 pm
Article from the Georgia times:
Brantley County Chief Appraiser Doug Miles has been placed on administrative leave with pay for two weeks while the Board of Assessors looks into allegations of wrongdoing in his office, County Attorney Tom Lee said Thursday.
Lee said the board put him on leave Feb. 5 and has asked the state Department of Revenue to investigate.
He said the allegations made against Miles by a Waynesville businessman and his wife were a factor in the board's decision to place Miles on leave.
"That's part of the reason," he said. "There are some other internal issues that the assessors have that they want to look into, too."
Edward and Regina Hunter have complained that property they own has been assessed at a grossly inflated rate, according to their attorney, Joseph.
The Hunters own a 264-acre tract on which they planned to develop a fly-in community, Joseph said, but the project has not gotten past the preliminary planning stages.
"What the county did is take basically a dream and turn it into a large tax valuation," Joseph said. "They increased it way out of proportion even with properties right across the road, some of which are assessed at as little as 10 percent of the value they put on his."
Joseph also said he has served notice to the county that the Hunters intend to sue Miles for slander. The Hunters operate a business that moves mobile homes.
The Hunters believe Miles has slandered them and that his office has "engaged in conduct designed to injure them in their trade or reputation," Joseph said.
The slander included assertions that the Hunters lack the skill and knowledge to properly operate the mobile home moving business, Joseph said.
The Hunters offered to settle the slander complaint out of court for $1 million, Joseph wrote in a Jan. 12 letter he delivered to the county.
Board of Assessors Chairman Angela Hicks did not respond to requests for comment.
Miles could not be reached for comment. His office declined to provide his phone number and no listing under his name could be found.
Posted by JMHO on 2/12/2010, 1:21 pm
Article from the Georgia times:
Brantley County Chief Appraiser Doug Miles has been placed on administrative leave with pay for two weeks while the Board of Assessors looks into allegations of wrongdoing in his office, County Attorney Tom Lee said Thursday.
Lee said the board put him on leave Feb. 5 and has asked the state Department of Revenue to investigate.
He said the allegations made against Miles by a Waynesville businessman and his wife were a factor in the board's decision to place Miles on leave.
"That's part of the reason," he said. "There are some other internal issues that the assessors have that they want to look into, too."
Edward and Regina Hunter have complained that property they own has been assessed at a grossly inflated rate, according to their attorney, Joseph.
The Hunters own a 264-acre tract on which they planned to develop a fly-in community, Joseph said, but the project has not gotten past the preliminary planning stages.
"What the county did is take basically a dream and turn it into a large tax valuation," Joseph said. "They increased it way out of proportion even with properties right across the road, some of which are assessed at as little as 10 percent of the value they put on his."
Joseph also said he has served notice to the county that the Hunters intend to sue Miles for slander. The Hunters operate a business that moves mobile homes.
The Hunters believe Miles has slandered them and that his office has "engaged in conduct designed to injure them in their trade or reputation," Joseph said.
The slander included assertions that the Hunters lack the skill and knowledge to properly operate the mobile home moving business, Joseph said.
The Hunters offered to settle the slander complaint out of court for $1 million, Joseph wrote in a Jan. 12 letter he delivered to the county.
Board of Assessors Chairman Angela Hicks did not respond to requests for comment.
Miles could not be reached for comment. His office declined to provide his phone number and no listing under his name could be found.