IN BRIEF: The verdict is in and PoyntSource Soutions, Inc. will not receive the lower water rate from the county it was seeking but will receive money for damages and takings to their property from the county dumping rocks and debris on the side of the dam in Lakeview Estates.

After deliberating for about three hours in Rockdale County Superior Court on Monday afternoon, the jury in the lawsuit and counter lawsuit between Rockdale County and PoyntSource Solutions, Inc. found in favor of the county's claim that it did not need to give the same rate to PoyntSource, a private water system that supplies water to the Lakeview Estates neighborhood, as it did to Newton County. It awarded the county $93,039.53 in payments owed to Rockdale Water Resources from PoyntSource.

However, the jury also found in favor of PoyntSource's claim that the county dumping rocks on the side of the Lakeview Estates dam damaged water pipes and pushed the county's claim over the line into the property of PoyntSource and Libby and Randolph Poynter. It awarded PoyntSource $250,000 for its taking/due process claim.

Ralph Goldberg, the attorney representing PoyntSource, said that one of his clients was satisfied with some of the verdict. Libby Poynter declined to comment and Randolph Poynter could not be reached for comment.

Rockdale Water Resources Director Dwight Wicks said, regarding the verdict, "I was pleased with the jury finding for our claim of $93,000 past due. I was also pleased the jury did not award the $1.25 rate (that is) special to Newton County."