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How Do I Form an HOA in Georgia?

Home Owners Associations (HOAs) bring peace and civility to shared communities. Condominium or single-family home complexes may create an HOA to determine how common areas will be maintained, for example. In Georgia, as in most states across the country, bylaws and a board of directors must be established before an HOA is official. Talk to neighbors within your development to garner support for the HOA and commence with an expeditious launch.

Instructions

Contact the Georgia General Assembly. Reach out to the offices of your House of Representatives and/or State Senator and ask for a copy of the Georgia Property Owners Association Act (GPOA). Review the GPOA to familiarize yourself with the rules and guidelines of the state for creating an HOA. Log online and visit the official Georgia General Assembly website to find the contact information for your respective representatives.
2

Form the physical HOA. Assemble residents of your community. Elect HOA leadership representatives including a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. Establish any committees necessary to the function of your HOA â€” planning or policy committees, for example. Write the bylaws for the HOA. State how shared community areas will be overseen, who is affected by the rules and the amount members will pay for annual dues. File the Bylaws and Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions.
3

Reach out to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Ask an IRS representative for all necessary 501(c)(4) tax documentation for creating an HOA. Filing for 501(c)(4) status makes the HOA an official non-profit organization. Submit all necessary forms and supplemental documentation (a copy of the bylaws, for example) required by the IRS. Consult IRS agents and the 501(c) (4) forms for instructions.

From Riverside Property Management, Inc.

CAI Alert – Community Association Legislation Support, Help HOA’s!

08 Feb

On behalf of CAI’s Legislative Action Committee, I wanted to alert you about an important piece of legislation we are promoting in Georgia. The proposed bill (number not yet assigned) establishes that, at the time of a foreclosure sale on residential property, the new homeowner shall take title to the property subject up to six months worth of homeowners or condominium owners association fees, if any such fees are due at the time of foreclosure.

This legislation is vital to our HOA’s and COA’s, many of which are suffering significant losses because these debts remain unpaid at the time of foreclosure. When such dues remained unpaid, every member’s property value suffers! This bill is a reasonable compromise with lobbyists for the bankers and realtors, who rejected our prior proposal. However, both of these groups maintain that they will not support any legislation that holds the purchaser responsible for any outstanding homeowner’s association fees.

Our advocates at the Capitol have asked that we reach out to our legislators and ask for their support of this important bill. Please call and email the Chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, whose information is provided below.

Representative Wendell Willard

Chair, House Judiciary Committee

(404)656-5125

wendell.willard@house.ga.gov

Senator Bill Hamrick

Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee

(404) 656-0036

bill.hamrick@senate.ga.gov

Please also reach out to your local Representative and Senator, whose contact information can be located by typing your zip code into this link – http://www.votesmart.org/. When you contact them, please identify yourself as a constituent and tell them you are in support of proposed legislation to protect a property owners association‘s right to collect fees due at the time of foreclosure. Please contact them as soon as possible!