Behind the Investigation with Atlanta News First

 Galaine Knox filed her taxes in 2015 after her husband passed away. That year, she got a surprise IRS bill for nearly $4,000 and couldn’t afford to pay for it. She hoped that future refunds might cover the balance, but in 2021, she called a tax relief company.

FinishLine Tax Solutions, based in Houston, Texas, quoted her $600 to take her case.

Knox said she called the IRS three times over the next two months to find out if anyone contacted them on her behalf, and said no one did.

“I called FinishLine and said I want a refund, and they said we don’t give refunds and hung up on me,” said Knox, who also claimed the company failed to do any work on her behalf.

A FinishLine attorney disputed the claim; said the company followed the terms of its contract; and said the company stopped its investigation because Knox requested it.

Read the full story here: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/09/05/atlanta-woman-pays-tax-relief-company-600-says-she-got-no-relief/

A Georgia nurse will continue to practice medicine despite admitting she denied a dying man medical care while he begged for help.

In July, the Georgia Board of Nursing released its final judgement involving Annaleen Visser, a former nursing supervisor at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

The board opened an investigation into Visser about three years after she oversaw the care for Kevil Wingo, who was detained at the jail in 2019 on drug possession charges.

Read the full story here: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/08/31/ex-head-nurse-cobb-jail-keeps-license-after-denying-care-dying-inmate/

 Kelvin and Marissa Blakely were excited to take their first train trip.

The Atlanta couple bought a trip to New Orleans through Amtrak Vacations and, if it went well, they would plan a larger trip across the country.

The couple bought a package deal for five nights, but two days before departure, Amtrak sent an automated message canceling the trip and offered a bus or a 50-percent refund. The reason, Amtrak said, was because of a track closing.

“The first person I spoke with said it was for maintenance, but when I called again, they said it was for repairs,” Marissa Blakely said.

Read the full story here: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/09/12/atlanta-couples-amtrak-vacation-new-orleans-ruined/

Too much power with too little oversight is how a local senator describes HOAs.

In this two-part series, award-winning investigative reporter Rachel Polansky looks at two metro Atlanta homeowners associations that are taking financial and legal action against their own residents.

Part one: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/09/13/hoa-cuts-sick-residents-water-off-after-she-falls-behind-dues/

Part two: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/09/13/hoa-files-23k-lawsuit-after-woman-installs-therapeutic-rock-garden/

The pandemic-mandated eviction moratorium in Georgia ended in October 2021.

But almost two years later, metro Atlanta landlords are still dealing with a court system backlog, with some waiting more than a year before a judge hears their case.

Eviction court backlogs are also affecting renters and rental prices across metro Atlanta.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/3OdIkPM

Scientists say we’ve all drank water laced with a toxin linked to cancer for decades, but it’s impacted one Georgia community more than most and there is little work underway to measure the impact.

Estimates are at least 16 million people in the U.S. have been exposed to PFAS through their drinking water.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/3O9VoFM

A class action lawsuit filed against a company touting to be America’s No. 1 marketplace health insurance alleges a pattern of racketeering and a scheme to defraud its customers.

Read more here: bit.ly/3OrjlcT

Rosalind Wise took her husband’s advice when he found a gently used 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee at The Car Spot.

Wise loves her new/used vehicle, but has yet to receive her tag. That’s because The Car Spot has seemingly closed.

Used car dealers have 30 days in Georgia to process paperwork and transfer the title to its new owner. If the car is financed, the lender holds the title until the debt is paid.

Temporary tags are good for 30 days. If a dealer falls behind, the buyer can request a 30-day extension, but in DeKalb - where Wise lives - one temporary tag extension is the limit.

The Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD) confirmed Wise needs her title. The office provides steps to replace missing or lost titles online, but the process is time-consuming and may require a lawyer.

Wise doesn’t have time. Like other buyers, time is running out, and she can’t afford to wait months for a new title. But if she drives with an expired tag, even with her paperwork and insurance coverage, she and other drivers could be stopped by police.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/44BLaVn

 Jervier Cater had big plans to renovate his West Atlanta home near historic Collier Heights, but for more than a month, he lived in a shed.

Cater wakes up every morning to a construction renovation nightmare. There is literally no roof over his head. The shingles, decking, and rafters are gone. In May, a construction crew demolished the roof but abandoned the job when they found out they weren’t getting paid.

Cater blames his contractor Clinton Garibaldi, the owner of Garibaldi Property Management and Construction. Garibaldi claimed he didn’t hire the demolition crew and instead is blaming his client.

Cater disputes the claim and said Garibaldi left a disaster. Almost daily rains after crews removed the roof ruined everything inside the house. The damage forced Cater to move into his backyard shed.

Read more here: bit.ly/3DrxUa5

A new federal lawsuit claims the Fulton County School System and its charter school enabled a child predator.

Former teacher Robert Vandel, 65, was convicted earlier this year for multiple charges connected to the rape and molestation of students at Fulton Academy of Science and Technology (FAST) and later at Lyndon Academy, a private school in Cherokee County.

In the Fulton case, Vandel was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In Cherokee, the negotiated plea was 20 years, the first eight of which will be served in prison and the remaining on probation.

Ex-Fulton County teacher convicted of rape pleads guilty to additional charges

However, Fulton County Schools and FAST are the subject of a June 14, 2023, federal suit, which alleges both the district and the school violated Title IX, the federal law mandating the right to education regardless of sex.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/3KdFbOq