The Georgia Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling in the case of Heron Lake II Apartments, LP, et al v. Lowndes County Board of Tax Assessors on Monday, deciding that low income housing tax credits (LIHTC) are not “actual income” when valuing a property for property taxes. Former Governor Roy Barnes and Coleman Talley Partners Ed Preston, Tom Kurrie, and Russ Henry represented eight partnerships that built affordable housing apartment complexes in Lowndes County. Our attorneys have been dealing with the central issues in the case for more than a decade.
“The Supreme Court decision has given a victory to lower-income working families throughout Georgia,” said the Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition in a statement. “The decision affirms that the state housing tax credit is intended for the benefit of lower-income families and senior citizens and for the local communities which embrace safe, sustainable, high-quality affordable residential properties.”