Court Order Gives Coosa Man Ownership Of Part Of Georgia Highway 20.
In a strange twist, a Coosa man was awarded ownership of property that had been condemned by the Georgia Department of Transportation. This in itself is not unusual, what is unusual is that this particular piece of property holds a portion of Georgia Highway 20 near the narrows in Coosa.
Lynn Bowles of an Alabama Highway address had been fighting the Georgia Department of Transportation for a number of years. Judge Larry Salmon agreed with Bowles and dismissed the condemnation.
The court found that the Department of Transportation used an outdated appraisal when they condemned Bowles property and added to it an updated affidavit as if the appraisal was a recent one. The affidavit was also notarized but not by an outside notary, the notary that signed off on the affidavit was an employee of the DOT.
The court cancelled the condemnation which in effect reverts ownership of the property back to its original owner which in this case is Lynn and Judy Bowles. 
The Bowles attorney, Richard Hubert says this type of thing happens with the DOT all the time but Hubert added this Judge had the guts to call them on it. According to Hubert, the DOT has 30 days to respond otherwise, the Bowles can file a trespassing claim against the state.
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