Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 512: Property owners' associations; revise provisions
Last action April 4, 2025 · House Withdrawn, Recommitted
House Bill 512 would rewrite how Georgia homeowners' associations must handle unpaid dues, requiring annual good-standing certificates, detailed account statements before a lien is placed, and a mediation option before an association can put a lien on a home.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law lets property owners' associations (HOAs) place liens on homes for unpaid dues, but current rules for verifying what is owed are thin and give associations wide latitude. House Bill 512 changes that by requiring associations to give every lot owner a free annual certificate showing their account is in good standing, and by creating a detailed statement of account process that buyers, lenders, and owners can request when a sale or refinance is happening. The statement must list assessments owed, violations, insurance information, and more, and it must be delivered within ten business days. The bill also says an association cannot create a lien for unpaid assessments unless it first offers the owner a chance to resolve the dispute through mediation or another neutral process, and the owner cannot be charged for participating. It updates a related cross-reference in O.C.G.A. 44-14-15 and states the new rules would not apply to contracts signed before July 1, 2025 until those contracts expire or are first renewed.
What the bill does
- Requires property owners' associations to give lot owners a free certificate of good standing within 45 days after the end of each fiscal year if all dues are paid.
- Creates a new statement of account process requiring associations to respond to written requests within ten business days with detailed financial and property information.
- Caps the fee an association's agent can charge for preparing a statement of account at $250, plus $50 for expedited three-day service, and bars charging the requester directly.
- Bars an association from creating a lien for unpaid assessments unless it first offers the lot owner a chance to use alternative dispute resolution like mediation.
- Requires associations to adopt and share a written alternative dispute resolution policy annually, with no fee charged to the lot owner for participating.
- Updates a cross-reference in O.C.G.A. 44-14-15 so it points to the new statement of account rules instead of the repealed statement process.
Who it affects
Homeowners living in properties governed by property owners' associations, HOA boards and their management companies, real estate buyers and sellers, mortgage lenders needing payoff information, and title or closing attorneys who rely on statements of account during sales and refinancing.
Why it matters
Homeowners facing HOA liens would gain a required dispute resolution option before a lien attaches and clearer paperwork showing exactly what they owe. Buyers and lenders would get standardized account statements, while associations face new deadlines, fee limits, and paperwork obligations.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds a requirement that associations issue a free annual certificate of good standing to lot owners with no unpaid assessments, within 45 days of the fiscal year's end.
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. 44-3-232 so a lien only attaches once the association meets the new statement and dispute resolution requirements in Code Section 44-3-237, and removes the old five-day statement rule that could extinguish a lien.
- Section 3 creates new Code Section 44-3-236, setting a ten-business-day deadline for associations to issue detailed statements of account, listing required contents, a 30-day effective period, and fee caps of $250 (or $300 for expedited requests).
- Section 3 also creates new Code Section 44-3-237, requiring associations to adopt a written alternative dispute resolution policy and barring creation of a lien unless the owner is first offered that dispute resolution option.
- Section 4 updates O.C.G.A. 44-14-15 to reference the new statement of account process (Code Section 44-3-236) instead of the old provision.
- Section 5 states the Act would not apply to contracts entered into before July 1, 2025 until those contracts expire or are first renewed.
From the bill
“The lien for unpaid assessments or other charges as provided for in Code Section 44-3-225 shall not be created unless the association offers the lot owner participation in alternative dispute resolution in accordance with this Code section”
“An association waives the right to collect any moneys owed in excess of the amounts specified in the statement of account from any person and such person's successors or assigns who in good faith rely upon such statement of account.”
“For each lot for which all assessments and other amounts due to the association have been paid in full, the association or its authorized agent shall provide the lot owner a certificate stating that such lot is in good standing within 45 days of the end of each fiscal year and without cost to the lot owner.”
Status timeline
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Regina Lewis-Ward (D, HD-115)
- Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
- Dale Washburn (R, HD-144)
- Alan Powell (R, HD-33)
- Lisa Campbell (D, HD-35)
- Kim Schofield (D, HD-63)
Topics
- homeowners associations
- HOA liens
- property owners rights
- real estate closings
- dispute resolution