--- title: SR 445. Department of Community Affairs; investigate the abusive practices of homeowners' associations; encourage collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr445 cite_as: SR 445, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr445 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr445.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr445/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71564 date: 2025-03-25 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr444.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr446.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr445.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 445 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-21 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Donzella James - Nan Orrock - Freddie Sims text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR445/2025 upstream_id: 2012802 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - homeowners' associations - elder protection - housing - consumer protection - short-term rentals --- # SR 445. Department of Community Affairs; investigate the abusive practices of homeowners' associations; encourage ## Text 25 LC 62 0187 Senate Resolution 445 By: Senators James of the 28th, Orrock of the 36th and Sims of the 12th A RESOLUTION Encouraging the Department of Community Affairs to investigate the abusive practices of1 homeowners' associations, particularly their impact on the elde rly and other vulnerable2 residents in a community; and for other purposes.3 WHEREAS, homeowners in Georgia are facing increases of abusive practices, retaliatory4 actions, and financial exploitation by certain homeowners' associations and their boards; and5 WHEREAS, the unchecked proliferation of short-term rental prope rties in residential6 communities has created significant challenges to community stability, homeowner safety,7 and property values; and8 WHEREAS, unlicensed property management practices have led to f inancial9 mismanagement and abuse of homeowners' rights; and10 WHEREAS, elderly homeowners are particularly vulnerable to intimidation, harassment, and11 financial abuse by unscrupulous homeowners' associations; and12 WHEREAS, individuals taking action against homeowners' associat ions are subject to13 retaliatory actions by the association; and14 S. R. 445 - 1 - 25 LC 62 0187 WHEREAS, clear legal protections and enforcement mechanisms are necessary to safeguard15 homeowners' rights and prevent retaliatory actions against indi viduals who challenge16 homeowners' association's conduct.17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that members of th is body18 encourage the Department of Community Affairs to investigate th e abusive practices of19 homeowners' associations, particularly their impact on the elde rly and other vulnerable20 residents in a community to protect those vulnerable individuals and better provide resources21 and assistance to those individuals where such predatory practices exist.22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed23 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Department24 of Community Affairs.25 S. R. 445 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution would encourage the Department of Community Affairs to investigate abusive practices by homeowners' associations, especially their impact on elderly and vulnerable residents. ### Plain-language summary This resolution responds to concerns that some homeowners' associations (HOAs) in Georgia are engaging in abusive, retaliatory, or financially exploitative practices against residents, with elderly homeowners described as especially vulnerable to intimidation and harassment. It also points to problems from unchecked short-term rentals in residential communities and unlicensed property management practices that have led to financial mismanagement. Rather than changing any law, the resolution asks the Department of Community Affairs to look into these HOA practices and their effect on elderly and vulnerable residents, with the goal of protecting those residents and improving resources and assistance where predatory practices exist. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to the Department of Community Affairs. ### What it does - Encourages, but does not legally require, the Department of Community Affairs to investigate abusive practices by homeowners' associations. - Directs the investigation to focus on the impact of these practices on elderly and other vulnerable residents. - States a goal of providing better resources and assistance to residents affected by predatory HOA practices. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to the Department of Community Affairs. - Does not create any new law, penalty, funding, or enforcement mechanism; it is a statement of the Senate's position. ### Who it affects Homeowners living in communities governed by homeowners' associations, especially elderly and other vulnerable residents; homeowners' associations and their boards; and the Department of Community Affairs, which is asked to conduct the investigation. ### Why it matters If the Department of Community Affairs acts on this encouragement, homeowners facing intimidation, retaliation, or financial exploitation by their HOA could see closer state scrutiny and possibly more assistance. Because it is a resolution, it creates no binding legal changes on its own. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe concerns about HOA abusive practices, retaliatory actions, financial exploitation, unlicensed property management, and short-term rental proliferation in residential communities. - The resolved clause encourages the Department of Community Affairs to investigate HOA practices, focusing on effects on elderly and vulnerable residents. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to the Department of Community Affairs. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-21) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-03-25) - Sponsors: Donzella James, Nan Orrock, Freddie Sims - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71564 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr445.md?full=1