Last year the Ga. DOT purchased 1/10 of my land for a road project. Several months later I went to the zoning department to determine the "best use" of the property in an effort to sell it. I then discovered that Cobb County had rezoned the land several years ago without my knowledge. With the new zoning and it's stipulations I was told the property could not be used for ANY purpose considering the size of the lot after the DOT purchased part of it. Zoning asked me why the DOT didn't buy the remainder. I asked the zoning office how the land could be rezoned without my knowledge. They couldn't tell me - the file was missing. Zoning told me the property was useless. At the same time this was happening I received a new tax accessment from Cobb County. The value went from $91,000. in 2007 to $268,000. in 2008. So now my useless piece of property is valued at $268,000. by the same county.
I contacted the accessors office and was told that it's not the accessors problem that I do not understand the value of property in Cobb County. I went to the accessors office and after pulling tax records on all the property surrounding ours, it was obvious our land had been grossly overvalued. I invited myself to the next tax accessors meeting and they reaccessed our property for 54,000. They told me the main reason the value dropped so much is that the DOT had purchased that piece leaving us with a plot too small to use. I contacted the DOT and was told they would not be able to consider purchasing the remainder because they were in financial trouble. So between the Ga. DOT and Cobb County Zoning Department I own a piece of property I can't sell or use. Please let me know how to persue.
I contacted the accessors office and was told that it's not the accessors problem that I do not understand the value of property in Cobb County. I went to the accessors office and after pulling tax records on all the property surrounding ours, it was obvious our land had been grossly overvalued. I invited myself to the next tax accessors meeting and they reaccessed our property for 54,000. They told me the main reason the value dropped so much is that the DOT had purchased that piece leaving us with a plot too small to use. I contacted the DOT and was told they would not be able to consider purchasing the remainder because they were in financial trouble. So between the Ga. DOT and Cobb County Zoning Department I own a piece of property I can't sell or use. Please let me know how to persue.
Last edited:
