COWETA TO ME

Written by GORDON KILGORE

During the 1980s, I owned several single-family homes, which I rented. One of the houses was in Hapeville near the airport. The airport made plans to add another runway, so they purchased all the houses along several streets in Hapeville. One of those houses was mine.

The wheels of government turn slowly, so the runway construction did not begin for some years while the houses sat empty. Each year after I had sold the house to the City of Atlanta, I would get a tax bill that would be followed with a late payment notice. The notices were always tossed in the trash.

After a couple of years went by, I paid a visit to Atlanta City Hall to explain that their records needed to be changed showing the City of Atlanta as the property owner and not me. You would think a personal visit would be sufficient to correct such an obvious mistake. That was not so, and the bills and late notices continued.

Finally, the city brought in bulldozers and leveled the whole area in preparation for runway construction. The City of Atlanta had one final parting shot. I received a notice that my taxes plus huge penalty fees had been accruing for seven years and the City of Atlanta was going to sell the property on the courthouse steps; they even provided a date for the sale.

I wrote a short reply on the notice saying something like, “Go right ahead and be my guest because it is your house.”

That was the final straw with Fulton County. I had to get out.

My wife and I found property in Shoal Creek Forest in Coweta County, built a new house, and moved here in 1998.

Moving to Coweta County from Fulton County was like a breath of fresh air. The entire construction process involving permits and inspections was smooth and painless.

Soon after moving into our new house, my truck tag was due. I went to the Coweta County Tag Office to make the change of address and get a new tag. Soon after I got back home, I received a call from the tag office saying that I had paid a dollar too much and they were returning the extra dollar. Seems as though I had included a $1 mailing fee when I wrote the check. I told them not to worry, but they insisted on squaring the books.

Would Fulton County ever call over a $1 mistake? No way. In fact, they probably would never have known it occurred.

So, for the past 22 years, I have enjoyed the services and good people in Coweta County. I am here for the long term.

NCM