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Committee hears HB 62 to create new oversight rules for HOAs and condo associations
Summary
House Bill 62, the Georgia HOA Accountability and Community Empowerment Act, drew multiple homeowners, local officials, and trade groups to a full‑committee hearing. Supporters urged more oversight and residency rules for board members; builders warned the proposal could limit developer tools during build‑out.
Representative Sandra Scott presented House Bill 62, the “Georgia HOA Accountability and Community Empowerment Act,” to the Governmental Affairs committee, describing a package of governance, election and transparency requirements for homeowners associations (HOAs) and condominium associations.
Scott said the bill would require board members to be residents of the communities they govern, establish annual elections with one vote per unit, require HOAs to maintain ballot records for public inspection, create a petition process to contest election outcomes, and empower the Secretary of State’s office to oversee HOA elections and investigate disputes. The sponsor said failure to comply — for example, not meeting board size requirements — could result in administrative suspension.
Testimony in support came from multiple residents and local officials who described specific local problems: absentee or out‑of‑state board presidents, long‑standing boards that have resisted turnover, selective enforcement and excessive fines, and difficulty making quorum. City Councilwoman Linda Pritchard, identified in the hearing as the bill’s author, and South Fulton Mayor Pro Tem Linda Pritchett both urged stronger resident representation on boards. Patricia Wise, a U.S. Army veteran and resident of Oakley Township, said: “If we require…driver’s license, all require residency…why doesn't HOAs?” (testimony summarized from the public record).
The Home Builders Association of Georgia opposed the bill, saying developers need tools — including developer voting power and management team members on boards — to maintain design standards and ensure orderly build‑out; the presenter from the association warned those tools should expire only once appropriate turnover conditions are met. Several witnesses and HOA board members supported adding education and certification for managers and board members as part of any reform.
Committee members asked about whether the Secretary of State had been consulted; the sponsor said she had not discussed the bill with the Secretary of State’s office. The committee held the bill as hearing‑only to gather input; no vote or formal action on HB 62 was recorded in the transcript.
