Garden City, Georgia Fire Fee Refund Settlement

Government Fees · Awaiting Final Approval

Current Status

There is no claim form for most class members, and no action to take right now. The objection deadline passed on May 26, 2026, and the Final Approval Hearing was scheduled for June 5, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom C of the Chatham County Courthouse. As of July 28, 2026, no final approval order or payment date had been located in public sources — though the settlement website now describes the case as the Garden City Fire Fees Qualified Settlement Fund and posts a claim form for missing class members, both signs that administration is moving. Once the settlement is finally approved, current Fire Protection Utility customers are refunded without filing anything; former customers will be mailed a Claim Form that must be completed and returned.

What Is This Settlement About?

The case is captioned Bobby Black v. Garden City, Georgia, filed in the Superior Court of Chatham County on behalf of people who paid the city's fire protection fee. According to local reporting on the case, the lawsuit alleged that the fee functioned as an unlawful tax under Georgia law. Garden City denies wrongdoing; its council approved a resolution to settle rather than continue litigating, citing the cost, uncertainty, and risk of prolonged litigation.

The settlement has two parts. First, the city creates a $1,400,000 Aggregate Refund Fund to return a share of the fire fees collected during the class period — local reporting puts the estimated refund at approximately 27% of what each customer paid. Second, Garden City agreed to end the fire protection fee itself, which for residents may be the more valuable half of the deal.

This is one of several fire-fee class actions running against Georgia municipalities on the same theory, brought by the same class counsel — the closest sibling is the Long County fire fee settlement, which follows an identical refund structure.

Who Qualifies?

You are a class member if you were assessed and paid fire fees to Garden City, Georgia at any time from October 7, 2020 through the date of final approval and entry of the proposed judgment. Both conditions matter — being billed is not enough; the class covers those who actually paid.

How Much Can You Get?

Individual refunds are calculated under the proposed Order and Judgment based on the fire fees you actually paid, so amounts vary by customer. The working estimate from local reporting is about 27 cents back for every dollar of fire fees paid during the class period. Per that same reporting, the city funds the settlement in installments, with $700,000 due by January 31, 2026 or the 45th day after entry of final approval, whichever is later.

Do You Have to File Anything?

If you are still a customer of the Garden City Fire Protection Utility for the property in question: no. After court approval, your refund is issued without a claim form.

If you are no longer a customer — you sold the property or moved away — a Claim Form will be sent to your current or last known address after the settlement is approved, and you must complete and return it as instructed to receive your refund. The settlement website also posts a Claim Form for Missing Class Members, so if you believe you qualify but have moved since paying the fee, that form is the way to make sure the administrator can find you.

Can You Opt Out or Object?

The notice did not provide an opt-out right, and the window to object closed on May 26, 2026. At this point class members are bound by whatever the court decides on final approval.