BROOKHAVEN — Three sisters appeared before the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors Monday to get answers to a tax question. The public hearing sped up the process by requiring Tax Collector and Tax Assessor Blake Pickering to answer questions.

Marty Lewman, Cheri Altman and Rachel Gatlin appeared before the panel on their behalf and on behalf of their brothers Tom Cole, Lane Cole and John Cole. The sisters said they had exhausted all options regarding taxes and deeds for their mother’s estate.

They went to the Lincoln County Tax Collector and Tax Assessor’s office and learned that the property would be divided among the six siblings by July 2024. The clerk’s records did not show anything. The women left messages asking them to call Pickering.

Many months later, the women expressed their frustration to the panel. They had to update their wills and pay taxes in the coming year.

“We were told the plans would be ready by the end of 2024,” Gatlin said. “That’s not the case.”

She added that they had tried to call Pickering’s office to no avail. Third District County Supervisor John David Hart told the family, who are part of his district, that while they could not legally take action against the committee, he could provide them with a platform to voice their concerns if they came and spoke.

Pickering was called out of his office to answer questions from the group. He explained to the group that there had been some sort of misunderstanding. The deeds could be mapped this year and would be included in the 2024 work map, but were not yet publicly available.

The existing maps are from the January 1, 2023 map. The mother of the family died in June 2023, so the map was not updated and thus visible to the clerk. Pickering explained that the 2024 map would be issued in November 2024. He invited the group to come with him to his office to review the 2024 map.

The group wasn’t quite ready. They wanted answers because the calls weren’t being answered. Pickering’s answer was that they were busy.

“Do we need to hire more people?” asked Gatlin.

Pickerign said there were only six people working in his office and they were all busy.

Lewman recommended better education and training for staff so they can better help clients. All the group needed was accurate information. They hope their experience can help other families get better, clear and consistent information.

“Something has to be done to take care of the families,” Lewman said. “What can we do to change this and fix this so that others don’t end up in the same situation? Let’s fix this for the next people.”

District 4 Supervisor Eli Ferguson is a real estate agent with experience dealing with deeds, land and real estate. He shared his thoughts during the meeting with Pickering.

“I understand their concern. It’s a situation where they don’t understand the process. When they come to us, it’s imperative that we help them understand it,” Ferguson said. “I know that if something happens in 2023, it will still be clear in 2023 who owned it on January 1. That’s all they needed to know.”

Gatlin said the family went to see Pickering after the meeting. While they have made progress, there are still some minor issues with the property that they need to resolve, she said. She hopes her public comments will help others who are having problems with the IRS.

“We were just happy to talk to someone. I was happy to have that opportunity,” Gatlin said. “I was very grateful. Hart called me afterward to check in. It’s encouraging to know that someone is trying to help you.”