By Renee Starzyk, CBS Atlanta Reporter
FULTON COUNTY, Ga.
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Fulton County property owners are irate after receiving tax assessment notices that have errors. Some residents said their estimated tax bill is double or triple what it was last year, while their assessed values remained the same.
"We went through the numbers," said Stephen Hull, whose estimated tax bill jumped from $3,200 last year to more than $6,700. "We were very, very upset."
The county's Board of Assessors said a computer glitch is to blame for the errors. The agency said it appears only parcels in the city of Atlanta were affected, though assessors were not sure how many received incorrect tax estimates.
Nor did the county know what went wrong, causing the incorrect estimates.
"Our people are still testing," said Dewayne Pinkney, the assessor's administrator. "Until we get some exact numbers and see exactly what happened, then we'll be able to get more answers."
The Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation has been flooded with calls from angry taxpayers.
"Somebody should be at the helm or in front of that computer, that's qualified to do the job," said Barbara Payne, the group's executive director.
The assessor's office is now deciding whether to send out revised assessments.
Asked if the mistake will cost taxpayers money, Pinkney said, "In order to correct the problem, we'll have to do what we need to do to correct it. We'll have to eat it."
Payne is encouraging people to challenge their assessments and estimated tax bills.
"Appeal, appeal, appeal," said Payne.
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