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Individuals who owned property in Richmond Hill, Georgia, and paid a fire fee between Nov. 7, 2018, and the date the court grants final approval, may qualify to claim a refund from a class action settlement.
The City of Richmond Hill agreed to pay $5,000,000 to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it assessed and collected illegal fire fees. The plaintiff claimed the city charged the fees as flat amounts to property owners rather basing them on property value as required by Georgia law.
Who are the class members?
Class members must meet the following criteria:
- They are or were a Richmond Hill, Georgia taxpayer.
- Richmond Hill assessed and they paid a fire fee at any time between Nov. 7, 2018, and the date of final approval.
The settlement divides class members into two categories:
- Category 1 class members: Current property owners
- Category 2 class members: Former property owners
How much are settlement payments?
Pro rata cash payment: Eligible class members can receive a partial cash refund from the net settlement fund. The settlement administrator will determine the payment amount by comparing the fire fees each class member paid during the qualifying period with the fire fees all class members paid.
How to receive a settlement payment
Category 1 class members do not need to submit a claim to receive a payment.
Category 2 class members must complete the claim form included with their settlement notice and mail it to the settlement administrator within 60 days of receiving their settlement notice in the mail.
Settlement administrator's mailing address: Terry D. Turner Jr., Gentle Turner & Benson LLC, Richmond Hill class action settlement, 501 Riverchase Parkway East, Suite 100, Hoover, Alabama 35244
Payout options
- Paper check mailed to the property address or address provided on claim form.
Settlement fund breakdown
The $5,000,000 settlement fund will include:
- Settlement administration costs: To be determined
- Attorneys’ fees: Up to $560,000
- Attorneys’ expenses: $15,511.30
- Service awards to class representative: Up to $35,000
- Payments to eligible class members: Remaining settlement funds
Important dates
- Claim deadline: 60 days after notice received in mail
- Fairness hearing: July 1, 2026
When is the Richmond Hill fire fees settlement payout date?
The settlement administrator will issue payments to eligible class members after it completes completes refund calculations and the court grants final approval of the settlement.
Why is there a class action settlement?
The class action lawsuit alleged Richmond Hill assessed and collected fire fees as a flat fee on property owners rather than based on property value as required by the Georgia constitution.
The plaintiffs argued this was an illegal tax. The city denied the allegations but agreed to settle to avoid the expense and risk of continued litigation.
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