United States v. EcoVest Capital Inc., et al

  1. March 30, 2023

    Co., Execs To Pay $6M To Settle $3B Easement Case

    A Georgia company and three company executives accused of participating in a tax scheme that generated $3 billion in charitable deductions for donated conservation land agreed to pay the U.S. government $6 million to settle claims over their role in the alleged scheme, according to documents obtained by Law360.

  2. March 20, 2023

    Settlement OK'd In $3B Conservation Easement Case

    A Georgia federal judge approved a settlement Monday permanently barring EcoVest Capital from making deals involving deductions for qualified conservation easement contributions, ending a government lawsuit that had accused the company of running a $3 billion tax scheme.

  3. March 13, 2023

    Investment Co. Agrees To Deals Ban In Easement Settlement

    An investment group and its appraiser agreed to stop making deals involving deductions for qualified conservation easement contributions under a proposed settlement of a U.S. government lawsuit accusing them of running a $3 billion tax scheme, according to a filing Monday in Georgia federal court.

  4. March 06, 2023

    US Accepts Settlement Of $3B Easement Scheme Suit

    The U.S. government accepted settlement offers from an investment group and its Alabama land appraiser that would resolve a suit accusing the two of promoting a $3 billion conservation easement tax scheme, according to a report filed Monday in Georgia federal court.

  5. November 21, 2022

    $3B Easement Scheme Case Closed Pending Settlement

    A Georgia federal judge on Monday closed a long-running case alleging an investment group and an Alabama appraiser promoted a $3 billion conservation easement tax scheme, saying government review of their settlement offers could take too long to simply hit pause.

  6. September 08, 2022

    11th Circ. Didn't OK Easement Valuation In $3B Suit, US Says

    The U.S. government pushed back Thursday against a company's arguments that the Eleventh Circuit approved of methods to value conservation easements challenged in a $3 billion case, telling a Georgia federal court that the company mischaracterized the appeals court's ruling.

  7. April 01, 2022

    Appraiser 'Deeply Integrated' In $3B Easement Case, US Says

    A real estate appraiser was "deeply integrated and embedded" in an abusive $3 billion conservation easement tax scheme and should be considered a tax shelter promoter liable for penalties, the U.S. government told a Georgia federal court Friday.

  8. March 17, 2022

    Appraiser In $3B Easement Fight Denies Being Shelter Promoter

    An appraiser accused by the U.S. government of facilitating a $3 billion conservation easement scheme hasn't promoted tax shelters, he told a Georgia federal court Thursday, asking it to dismiss the government's bid for a pretrial win in its case. 

  9. February 24, 2022

    Appraiser Urges Denying Severance In $3B Easement Case

    An appraiser's counterclaim that the U.S. government wrongly disclosed his tax information during a $3 billion conservation easement tax scheme case shouldn't be separated, he told a Georgia federal court Thursday, because it won't hurt the government.

  10. February 16, 2022

    US Says Appraiser, Co. In $3B Easement Row Ran Tax Shelter

    The U.S. asked a Georgia federal court to rule ahead of trial that a real estate company and an appraiser promoted tax shelters, saying they engaged in a $3 billion syndicated conservation easement scheme by knowingly overinflating property values.