As reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation (FCTF) is on the verge of collapse. They have laid off the staff that was doing property tax appeal work and have hired an auditor to make a decision on whether to continue the organization under new leadership, or shut it down. The current President, John Sherman's health is failing.
The FCTF has been charging flat fees of $375 to $575 for residential property tax appeals, and $400 to $1,000 for commercial property tax appeals. I know someone that had been doing this work for the FCTC and he was only getting a small fraction of the fee for this work. The AJC reported that the FCTC was overwhelmed with property tax appeal work. If that is the case it is surprising that the FCTC is having cash flow problems.
The FCTF has done other work including opposition to a new Atlanta Falcon stadium and advocating for Buckhead becoming a seperate city. Their biggest claim to fame is shining a bright light on government waste. President Sherman said "We're not shutting it down, we're suffering from contribution loss" as reported in the AJC. On the homepage of the FCTF website you are encouraged to "Donate Today!"
I guess if you can expect significant tax savings from a property tax appeal you can pay a high flat fee like the FCTF charged. However, the property tax consulting business has moved to more of a contigent fee based system, with lower flat fees and a percentage of tax savings paid. For more information on Fulton County property tax appeals visit FairAssessments.com
