Published
July 27, 2026
Long County, Georgia has agreed to create a $500,000 refund fund to resolve a class action over the fire fees it charged property owners. If you were assessed and paid a Long County fire fee on or after September 6, 2024 and still own the property, you do not have to file anything — the refund comes to you automatically once the court approves the deal.
Current Status
There is no claim form to file right now, and for most class members there never will be one. The Superior Court of Long County, Georgia has granted preliminary approval, and the Final Approval Hearing is set for October 6, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the Long County Courthouse; if no objections are filed, the court may hold it by phone or video instead. No final approval order has been entered and no payment date has been announced. If the court approves the settlement, Long County will create a $500,000 Aggregate Refund Fund, and property owners who still own the property get their refund automatically. Only former owners will be mailed a claim form, and only after approval. The one deadline on the calendar now is September 7, 2026 — the postmark cutoff to object.
Status
Pending Final Approval
Objection Deadline
September 7, 2026
Postmark cutoff · there is no opt-out right and no claim deadline yet
Refund Fund
$500,000
Aggregate fund · individual refunds calculated under the proposed Order and Judgment · no per-owner figure announced
Proof Required
Automatic Payment
Current owners get refunds with no claim form · former owners will be mailed a claim form after final approval and must return it
What Is This Settlement About?
The case is captioned Gardner Rentals, LLC v. Long County, Georgia, and it was brought in the Superior Court of Long County. Long County has agreed that, if the court approves the settlement at or after the Final Approval Hearing, it will create an Aggregate Refund Fund of $500,000 to refund fire fees to the class.The publicly posted notice does not describe the legal claims behind the lawsuit or explain what the county is alleged to have done wrong — it addresses the settlement terms and class members' rights. We are not going to fill that gap with guesswork. The underlying filings, including the Preliminary Approval Order and the preliminary approval motion with exhibits, are posted on the official settlement website for anyone who wants the full procedural record.
What the notice does establish is the practical outcome: money the county collected as fire fees during the class period goes back to the property owners who paid it, on a schedule the court still has to bless.
Who Qualifies?
You are a member of the class if you were assessed and paid Long County fire fees at any time from September 6, 2024 through the date of final approval and entry of the proposed judgment.That end date is worth reading twice: the class period is still open. It does not stop on a fixed calendar date — it runs until the court enters judgment. Fire fees assessed and paid between now and the October 6, 2026 hearing are still inside the class period.
Both conditions have to be met. Being assessed a fee is not enough on its own; the notice defines the class as those who were assessed and paid.
How Much Can You Get?
Long County has agreed to fund $500,000 in the aggregate. The notice does not publish a per-owner amount, and neither will we — individual class member refunds are to be calculated under the terms of the proposed Order and Judgment. Because refunds track the fire fees each property was actually assessed and paid, the amount will vary from property to property rather than being split evenly.Class counsel will also ask the court to approve an award of attorneys' fees and expenses and a service award for the class representative. The notice does not state the amounts requested; the court will rule on that request at the Final Approval Hearing.
Do You Have to File Anything?
For most class members, no. This is the part that matters most, and it splits cleanly in two.If you still own the property for which a refund is determined to be owed, you do not have to do anything. After the settlement is approved, the refund is issued to you without a claim form.
If you no longer own the property, you do have to act — but not yet. After the settlement is approved, a Claim Form will be mailed to your current address or your last known address. You then have to complete and return it as instructed on the form to get your refund. Since it goes to the address on file, a former owner who has moved since selling should make sure the administrator can reach them. No deadline for returning that form has been published; it will be stated on the form itself.
Can You Opt Out? What About Objecting?
You cannot opt out. The notice states plainly that class members do not have the right to exclude themselves from this settlement, which means you will be bound by the judgment if the court approves it.You can object. A written objection must be postmarked on or before September 7, 2026 and must comply with the requirements set out in paragraph 19 of the Preliminary Approval Order, which is posted on the official settlement website. Read that paragraph before writing — objections that skip its formal requirements can be disregarded. If no objections are filed at all, the court may convert the October 6 hearing to a telephonic or virtual proceeding.
What Is the Deadline?
September 7, 2026 is the postmark deadline to object, and it is the only deadline currently facing class members. There is no claim deadline because there is no claim form yet; former owners will receive one after final approval, with its own instructions. The notice gives these dates without a timezone, so treat the calendar date as the cutoff.How Do You Take Action?
For most class members the action is simply to wait and to confirm the administrator has a good address for you. The official settlement website, Long County Fire Fees Settlement.com, hosts the Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement, the Publication Notice, the Notice of Hearing, the Preliminary Approval Order, and the preliminary approval filing with exhibits. If you did not receive the full notice in the mail, or you want to read paragraph 19 before objecting, that is where to go. The site also lists contact details for the claims administrator and class counsel.One caution the notice repeats in capital letters: do not contact the court, the clerk's office, or the judge about this settlement. They will not answer questions about it.
What Happens Next?
The next milestone is the Final Approval Hearing on October 6, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the Long County Courthouse. The court will decide whether to finally certify the settlement class, whether to grant final approval, whether to approve class counsel's request for fees, expenses, and a service award, whether to dismiss the claims against Long County, and whether to enter final judgment.A hearing being held is not the same as approval being granted. If the court does grant final approval and enter judgment, that entry also closes the class period, refunds to current owners follow, and claim forms go out to former owners. No payment date has been announced.
Sources and Verification
• Official Settlement Website — Long County Fire Fees Settlement• Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement
• Preliminary Approval Order
• Notice of Hearing
• Gardner Rentals, LLC v. Long County, Georgia, Superior Court of Long County, Georgia
OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not the claims administrator or a law firm.
Questions
Do I have to file a claim to get my Long County fire fee refund?
It depends on whether you still own the property. If you still own the property for which a refund is determined to be owed, you do not have to do anything — the refund is issued automatically after the court approves the settlement. If you no longer own that property, a Claim Form will be mailed to your current or last known address after approval, and you must complete and return it as instructed to receive the refund.
How much will each property owner get back?
The notice does not state a per-owner figure. Long County has agreed to create an Aggregate Refund Fund of $500,000, and individual class member refunds will be calculated under the terms of the proposed Order and Judgment. Because refunds are tied to the fire fees each property was assessed and paid, amounts will vary by property.
Can I opt out of the Long County fire fee settlement?
No. The notice states that class members do not have the right to exclude themselves from this settlement. You do have the right to object in writing, and any objection must be postmarked on or before September 7, 2026 and comply with the requirements in paragraph 19 of the Preliminary Approval Order, which is posted on the official settlement website.
I sold my Long County property. Am I still eligible?
Yes, if you were assessed and paid fire fees during the class period. Former owners are the group that must file — a Claim Form will be mailed to your current or last known address after final approval, and it has to be completed and returned as instructed. Because the form goes to the address on file, make sure the administrator can reach you if you have moved.
When does the Long County class period end?
The class period runs from September 6, 2024 through the date the court grants final approval and enters the proposed judgment. That end date is not fixed yet, so fire fees assessed and paid between now and final approval are still within the class period.
Related Fee Refund Settlements
Fee-refund cases against local governments and service providers turn up regularly. Among the open ones, the Hunter Warfield unlicensed rental collections settlement also pays automatically with no claim form, and the Dovenmuehle mortgage pay-to-pay fee settlement covers convenience fees charged to homeowners. You can browse every current claim window on the open class action settlements page.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
$500,000 Aggregate Refund Fund
Case Title
Gardner Rentals, LLC v. Long County, Georgia
Court
Superior Court of Long County, Georgia
Final Approval Hearing
October 6, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Long County Courthouse · may be held by phone or video if no objections are filed
Administrator
Gentle Turner & Benson LLC
Official Website
Long County Fire Fees Settlement.com
