SB230: SB230 Condominiums; maximum amount of insurance deductibles payable by unit owners; remove the limitation

This bill, now a House Insurance Committee substitute for SB 230, touches several unrelated areas of Georgia law under the title the "Real Estate Security and Title Act." It lets the holder of a foreclosed security instrument submit a credit bid instead of cash at a judicial sale. It expands and clarifies protections that keep judges' and their spouses' personal information, such as home addresses and phone numbers, out of public records, and sets rules for how that information can be restricted, released, or accessed by title insurers. The bill also tightens qualifications for special masters appointed in quiet title lawsuits, requiring legal authorization to practice law, in-state residency, at least three years as a Georgia citizen, and five years of land-title experience. Finally, it amends Georgia's condominium law (O.C.G.A. § 44-3-94) to raise the maximum insurance deductible that a condominium association can pass on to an individual unit owner after a covered casualty, from $5,000 to $25,000, and requires associations to notify unit owners in writing of any material change to their master policy deductible.

• Allows the holder of a foreclosed security instrument, or its representative, to submit a credit bid instead of cash, a cashier's check, or certified funds at a judicial sale.
• Requires state and local government entities to restrict judges', justices', and their spouses' personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers, from public records.
• Sets a process for protected judges and third parties to request access to restricted personal information using a signed authorization form, and for restrictions to be lifted on request.
• Requires special masters appointed in quiet title actions to have five years of experience litigating or giving opinions on Georgia land titles, in addition to being licensed to practice law and meeting residency requirements.
• Raises the maximum condominium insurance deductible that can be charged to an individual unit owner after a covered casualty from $5,000 to $25,000 per loss (O.C.G.A. § 44-3-94).
• Requires condominium associations to notify all unit owners in writing of any material change to the association's master insurance policy deductible.

The bill touches purchasers and lenders at judicial foreclosure sales, current and former Georgia and federal judges and justices and their spouses, county and municipal government offices that maintain public records, title insurers and attorneys, special masters handling quiet title cases, and condominium associations and unit owners across Georgia.

Condominium owners could face insurance deductible bills up to five times larger than the current cap if their association allocates deductibles this way, though associations must now warn owners in writing of major deductible changes. Judges and their families would gain stronger privacy protections, and foreclosure buyers gain a new bidding option.

• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 9-13-166 to let the holder of a foreclosed security instrument submit a credit bid instead of cash or certified funds at a judicial sale.
• Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 15-5-112 to require restriction of judges' and spouses' personally identifiable information from public disclosure and to create procedures for requesting, granting, and releasing such restrictions, including a 30 day compliance window and a 45 day window to lift a restriction on request.
• Section 4 exempts title insurers, their attorneys, and their agents from the restriction when seeking records in furtherance of providing title insurance.
• Section 5 amends O.C.G.A. § 23-3-63 to require quiet title special masters to have at least five years of experience litigating or opining on Georgia land titles, plus existing licensing and residency requirements.
• Section 6 amends O.C.G.A. § 44-3-94 to raise the per-loss cap on condominium insurance deductibles chargeable to a unit owner from $5,000 to $25,000.
• Section 6 also adds a new subsection requiring condominium associations to give unit owners written notice of any material change to the master policy's deductible.
• Section 7 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-20House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-03-09House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-06House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-04Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
5. 2026-03-04Senate Third Read (Senate)
6. 2026-02-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
8. 2025-03-03Senate Read Second Time (Senate)

• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)Primary sponsor
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)

1. FailedSenate voteMarch 4, 2026

   22 yea, 32 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Adoption Of Amendment #1 By The Senator From The 28th: Senate Vote #632

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 4, 2026

   51 yea, 2 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #633

• condominium insurance
• property law
• judicial foreclosure sales
• judges' privacy protections
• quiet title actions