Asheville Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley claimed tax benefits in Georgia legally available only to permanent residents of the state while claiming residency to vote in Buncombe County, public records show.
In an Asheville Watchdog interview, Mosley said she was unaware of receiving homestead exemptions on her Atlanta home until recently and that she addressed her Georgia tax obligations through a mortgage company, but public records obtained by NC Local show Mosley signed paperwork in 2024 explicitly authorizing two Georgia companies to file for a homestead exemption and/or negotiate taxes on her behalf.
A form submitted to the Fulton County Assessors Office, electronically signed by Mosley on July 22, 2024, granted Sandy Spring-based LGB Realty and Development permission “to file homestead exemption and/or appeal property taxes with the Fulton County Board of Tax Assessors.”
The tax records from the assessors office also include a document with letterhead reading “Moseley, S. Antanette,” signed by Antanette Mosley. It authorized The Vinson Group, a Decatur, Ga.-based property tax appeal firm, to represent her interests on property taxes. The documents show a hearing was held on April 28, 2025.
Robert Vinson, the company’s CEO, confirmed to NC Local that Mosley had signed a contract for his services, with the Atlanta property as the mailing address. He told NC Local by phone he was unaware of Mosley’s position as vice mayor of Asheville and that he did not discuss the homestead exemption with her.
Mosley won the appeal on May 7, 2025, and had the valuation of her home reduced from $526,000 to $490,000, according to the tax documents.
A publicly available Venmo account for “Antanette Mosley” featuring a picture of the vice mayor posted a payment for “Property Tax Appeal” to Vinson dated May 28 of this year.
Mortgage documents show occupancy requirement in Atlanta
In the Watchdog interview, Mosley said she addressed her Georgia tax obligations through a mortgage company that handled debt, property insurance, and taxes. Yet public documents trace her active involvement in the Atlanta property’s affairs multiple times since she acquired it in 2001.
Mosley filed for bankruptcy in 2006, listing the Atlanta home as her only piece of real property and noting that she owed more than $204,000 on a mortgage to Chase.
Mortgage documents shared by Asheville-based public records researcher and consultant Alan Rosenthal show Mosley signed a new mortgage document with JPMorgan Chase in December 2016.
A clause in that document stipulated that Mosley agreed to “occupy the property as [her] principal residence for at least one year after the date of occupancy, unless the Lender otherwise agrees in writing, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, or unless extenuating circumstances exist which are beyond Borrower’s control.”
According to the resume Mosley submitted in her 2020 City Council application package, she worked for Asheville-based Mountain Housing Opportunities as the director of philanthropy from April 2016 to June 2019. A press release from the organization announcing her hiring noted that, “prior to returning to Asheville, Mosley practiced law in Atlanta.”
Mosley also voted in North Carolina elections in both October and November 2017, within the one-year window required by the mortgage document.
In response to a follow-up email sent to Mosley asking for details on the occupancy clause, she directed all inquiries to her attorney, Asheville-based Eugene Ellison.
In a phone call to NC Local, Ellison refused to answer questions about the mortgage details or whether there were extenuating circumstances.
“She’s not going to be responding to you inquiring about her private business, concerning her mortgage and information. That is private information,” Ellison said. He added that any issues with the reporting of her homestead exemption would be corrected, and that Mosley would pay any back taxes owed, “but that is being handled in Georgia.”
In 2024, Mosley signed another mortgage document for the Georgia property, moving custody of her loan to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Mosley listed her Atlanta residence as her mailing address on that document. Her signature on that document was verified by a Buncombe County notary public.
How property appraisal for taxes works
The process for property tax assessment in Georgia is similar to that of North Carolina. In NC, state law requires counties to reappraise properties at least every eight years. Some counties conduct appraisals on a more frequent basis.
The goal of reappraisal is for the taxable value of any given property to reflect its fair market value. That assessed value is then multiplied by taxing authorities such as counties, cities, and school districts to determine a property’s tax bill.
County assessors apply a uniform set of standards, called a schedule of values, to determine the value of each property. This document estimates the worth of different types of land and buildings per square foot, adjusting for factors such as condition, improvements, and location.
If a property owner believes an assessed value is inaccurate, they can appeal to their county’s tax office. Disputes are resolved by county boards of equalization and review, quasi-judicial bodies that require courtroom-like standards for witnesses and evidence.
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