Public records reveal the seller of real estate purchased by Bulloch Commissioners for a new fire department netted more than $220,000 though he owned the property for less than one full day.
THE PROPERTY
At the center of the story is a property acquired by the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners for the establishment of a new fire station – 2.89 acres located at 494 Elmer Phillips Road off of Highway 67. After negotiations stalled and the county decided to break ties with the City of Statesboro for fire services, Bulloch County faced a tight deadline of July 1, 2025 for expanding its own services and providing citizens with peace of mind.
The property was ultimately purchased by the county from R&R 529, LLC – an LLC established by Jason Williams in 2020 and registered to his name. R&R 529 LLC owns the neighboring property on both sides of 494 and has since September 3, 2024. The LLC purchased that property for $706,200.
But records show Williams owned the property sold to the county for less than a day when he sold it to Bulloch County – a.k.a taxpayers – at a price that was $260,000 more than what he bought it for the same day. Notably, Williams was not even the owner of the property when it went under contract with the county. He ultimately netted more than $220,000 for his few hours of ownership.
TIMELINE
August 23, 2024 – 494 Elmer Phillips Road is listed for sale by RE/MAX Eagle Creek Realty for $800,000.
September 3, 2024 – R&R 529, LLC purchases the property adjacent to 494 Elmer Phillips Road.
March 5, 2025 – The day after the first March commission meeting, Chairman David Bennett signs a Real Estate Consulting Agreement with Statesboro Properties for the purpose of acquiring real estate for a county fire department. The proposition is for Statesboro Properties to locate a property for the county without revealing to the potential seller who the buyer may be until the property is under contract. This is often done with local governments to avoid unnecessarily inflated selling prices. The names for contact on the project with Statesboro Properties include Fire Chief Ben Tapley and then-Interim County Manager Cindy Steinmann.
Little is known about these specifics as authorization to take certain acts was discussed in executive session and/or with legal counsel, which is not subject to public review. However, Commissioners agreed upon a ‘cap’ price for the purchase of property and authorized the scouting based on that price
At some point during this 8-day period, properties were presented by Statesboro Properties to the county for consideration. One of the properties was 494 Elmer Phillips Road off of Highway 67.
March 13, 2025 – An appraisal is authorized by the county attorney on behalf of county commissioners. This comes at a cost of $2,500 for the county. Under Georgia law, counties are bound by different parameters for real estate purchases, like having an appraisal prior to submitting an offer on a property.
March 14, 2025 – An appraisal of 494 Elmer Phillips Road is completed by Hulsey-Johnston, Inc utilizing the hypothetical condition that the property would be split into 2 separate parcels. Additionally, the residential dwelling interior was not inspected and was presumed to be in average condition like the exterior of the dwelling.
March 18, 2025 – 494 Elmer Phillips Road goes under contract by another buyer. The pending sale price is not known.
March 18, 2025 – The Appraisal is returned to the county.
1.99 Acre Commercial Lot – $476,000
Residential Dwelling & 1.0 Acre Site – $453,000
Total Price: $929,000
The county, unaware of the pending sale, prepares to submit an offer below the listing price of $800,000. It is at that time that the county is informed that the property is already under contract.
The exact date is unknown, but on some date after March 18 but before April 14 – Though the county is represented by its own agent, Jason Williams contacts the county directly about selling the property. His LLC does not yet own the property and the purchase price is unknown as the sale between him and the initial buyer is still pending. Negotiations between the county and Williams continue regarding price, conditions, and the like.
April 14, 2025 – A Buyer’s Broker Compensation Agreement is drafted by Jason Williams stipulating that the seller will pay the 3% commission fee to the Buyer’s Broker at closing. A special stipulation notes “This agreement applies to the attached Commercial Purchase & Sale Agreement for 494 Elmer Phillips Road.”
April 15, 2025 – Jason Williams signs the seller paperwork on behalf of R&R 529, LLC.
April 17, 2025 – Board of Commissioners vote on the Sales & Purchase agreement for 494 Elmer Phillips Road in the amount of $850,000. Statesboro Properties represents the county and Plantation Properties & Land Investments, owned by Jason Williams, is listed as the representation for the seller. The agreement indicates that the sale is “Contingent on R&R 529 closing on said property prior to this closing date 4-24-25.”
April 24, 2025 – Sale between the original owner, William M Davidson V, and R&R 529 LLC closes. The sale price is $590,000 – $210,000 less than the listing price.
Sale between Bulloch County & R&R 529 LLC closes shortly thereafter for $850,000. The Seller is listed as ‘Southern Intermediary Services Inc. as QI for R&R 529, LLC.”
(A QI is a Qualified Intermediary which is a company that facilitates the exchange of property to allow taxpayers to defer capital gains taxes. Generally speaking, a QI requires a person to be independent of the taxpayer. The deferred taxes allow for reinvestment of money on a similar or potentially more valuable replacement property. Another property must be identified within 45 days and purchased within 180 days. )
The total cost to the county, paid from the SPLOST account, comes to $855,367.94, with the county paying the closing fees, the title search fee, title insurance, recording fees, and security deed fees. The buyer agent fee was paid for by R&R 529 LLC. Outstanding taxes owed by the buyer were waived since the county does not pay property taxes. Property taxes to be paid by Williams were paid at closing.
$590,555.15 went to AgSouth Farm Credit to pay off the first mortgage.
$221,923.79 went to Southern Intermediary Services, Inc.
And the remaining fees went to settlement costs, taxes, escrow, and the buyer’s broker fee.
Attached to the deed filed in the Clerk’s Office is a Right of First Refusal to Additional Premises, giving the county the ability to purchase the adjacent property first if Williams/R&R 529 LLC decides to sell the parcel.
April 28, 2025 – Chairman Bennett announces the closing of the property and shares that prep work has already begun on the site.
“This fire station will not only provide fire protection inside the five mile district outside of Statesboro, but will provide much needed coverage down Highway 67, Josh DEal Road, Cawana Road, Harville Road, and Langston Chapel Road.
The house will be used as living quarters and administrative officers for the fire station. We will use inmate labor for some refurb on the inside) and add a steel building to the property to house fire equipment. I can’t wait to see this station up and running.”
When this information came to light, TheGeorgiaVirtue.com reached out to Chairman David Bennett. Specifically, he was asked about the change in ownership during the transaction. Bennett said he had concerns about how the transaction occurred, but the county was facing a strict timeline and the property met the needs for housing, location to provide critical fire services, and was still below the appraised value.
Jason Williams was contacted by TheGeorgiaVirtue.com regarding this transaction, but did not return requests for comment.
It remains unclear if Williams was tipped off about the county’s involvement, and if so, by whom, or if he had plans to otherwise develop the property.
Related Documents
- Appraisal
- Resolution and Purchase & Sale Agreement
- Settlement Statement for 494 Elmer Phillips Road
- QPublic Listing on 494 Elmer Phillips Road
- Zillow Listing History for 494 Elmer Phillips Road (shows date property went under contract)
- Buyer’s Broker Compensation Agreement between Plantation Properties & Statesboro Properties
