HB 1517: Nuisances; presumption of the creation of a nuisance based on certain residential local ordinance violations; provide

This bill bundles four unrelated changes to Georgia law. First, it creates a new rule (O.C.G.A. § 41-1-4.1) saying that if a residential property owner is convicted of or pleads guilty to five or more health or safety code violations, such as junk, overgrown vegetation, or dangerous conditions, within a two year period, the property is automatically considered a legal nuisance. Second, it amends O.C.G.A. § 48-5-22 so a tax receiver or tax commissioner who fails to collect delinquent property taxes on a parcel can be charged with a felony, not just a misdemeanor, if the unpaid taxes exceed $150,000. Third, it changes Georgia's Medicaid estate recovery law (O.C.G.A. § 49-4-147.1) so that starting January 1, 2027, the state must protect a larger share of a deceased Medicaid recipient's home value from repayment claims, using whichever is greater: $25,000 or half the county's median home value. This depends on federal approval of a state plan amendment by August 1, 2026. Fourth, it requires corporations to give the Secretary of State a list of people authorized to file documents on the corporation's behalf before filing, and defines the term 'authorized person.'

• Creates a new Georgia law making five or more health or safety code violations on a residential property within two years automatic legal proof of a nuisance.
• Raises the penalty for a tax receiver or tax commissioner who fails to collect delinquent property taxes from a misdemeanor to a felony when unpaid taxes on a parcel exceed $150,000.
• Expands the amount of a deceased Medicaid recipient's estate protected from state repayment claims when the estate includes a home, using the greater of $25,000 or half the county's median home value.
• Requires the state to submit this Medicaid estate recovery change to federal regulators by August 1, 2026, and automatically repeals it if federal approval is denied.
• Requires corporations to submit a list of people authorized to file documents with the Georgia Secretary of State before those filings are accepted.
• Adds a legal definition of 'authorized person' to Georgia's business corporation code.

Owners of single-family to four-family homes facing repeated code enforcement citations; county tax receivers and tax commissioners; heirs and dependents of deceased Medicaid recipients whose estates include a home; the Department of Community Health; county boards of tax assessors; and corporations that file documents with the Georgia Secretary of State.

Homeowners with repeated code violations could face nuisance findings more easily, tax officials risk felony charges for not collecting large delinquent tax bills, families inheriting a Medicaid recipient's home could keep more of its value, and corporations would face a new paperwork step before filing with the state.

• Section 1 adds Code Section 41-1-4.1, defining 'violations involving health or safety' and creating a conclusive presumption of nuisance after five such violations on residential property within two years.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 48-5-22 to make failing to collect delinquent taxes a felony when the unpaid amount on a parcel exceeds $150,000, up from a misdemeanor.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 49-4-147.1 to protect the greater of $25,000 or 50 percent of county median home value from Medicaid estate recovery claims starting January 1, 2027, contingent on federal approval by August 1, 2026, with automatic repeal if denied.
• Section 3 directs the commissioner to use median home value from American Community Survey data or a similar source and requires county tax assessors to cooperate.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 14-2-120 to require corporations to submit a list of authorized filers to the Secretary of State before filing documents and adds 'authorized person' as a way documents can be executed.
• Section 5 adds a definition of 'authorized person' to O.C.G.A. § 14-2-140.

1. 2026-03-10House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-09House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-06House Hopper (House)

• Marvin Lim (D, HD-098)Primary sponsor

• property nuisance law
• code enforcement
• property tax collection
• Medicaid estate recovery
• corporate filings