ATLANTA — Ronald Petty Jr. says he filed a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta on allegations of fraud, claiming the city’s billing records are being actively manipulated to keep his bill artificially high.
“I knew my father paid his bills. I never even wanted to file a lawsuit. I wanted to sell my property. I just wanted to solve the problem,” Petty said.
He told Channel 2’s investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln this started in 2023 when he was billed more than $50,000.
He admits there was a leak on the property, the leak was fixed, and he said the city of Atlanta told him it would credit his account.
“They kept their word, the bill went from $52,000 to $1,676.76,” he said.
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But by 2024, when his relator was trying to sell the home, he said they were flagged by the city because of an outstanding balance of more than $25,000 on his father’s account, who was the previous owner of the home.
Petty said he was told that the charge was from unpaid bill in 2008.
“When I asked to see the bill, they told me they had brand new computers, and they couldn’t produce the bill,” Petty said.
Petty questions that amount, because when he transferred his father’s account to his name the city said he only owed roughly $400.
In documents sent to Petty’s attorney, they show where his father paid on his account in 2008, not showing an outstanding $52,000 balance.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the city of Atlanta about this story, and it told her it can’t comment on pending litigation. said he
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