Section 44-7-113 - Government agent to assess abandoned mobile home; lien on intact mobile home; derelict mobile homes; notice; governmental immunity(a) At the request of a landowner, a local government agent shall be authorized to assess the condition of such abandoned mobile home. Upon inspection, the local government agent shall classify such abandoned mobile home as either intact or derelict and provide documentation citing such determination to the requesting landowner within 20 days of such request.(b) If a local government agent determines an abandoned mobile home to be intact, a landowner shall have a right to file a lien on such abandoned mobile home in the superior court for the circuit where such abandoned mobile home is located and in the amount of any unpaid rent as of the date on which such lien is filed and accrued fees. Such lien may be foreclosed pursuant to the procedure set forth in Code Section 44-7-115.(c) If a local government agent determines an abandoned mobile home to be derelict, such agent shall post notice of such determination in a conspicuous location on such abandoned mobile home. Such notice shall include a date of issuance and shall be in substantially the following form: "You are hereby notified that this mobile home (describe make, model, and color, if known) located at (address or description of location) has been deemed abandoned and derelict. You are entitled to a hearing in magistrate court to contest this determination. If you fail to request a hearing within 90 days from the date that appears on this notice or if it is confirmed by a court that this abandoned mobile home is derelict, the owner of the land upon which this mobile home sits shall be entitled to dispose of the mobile home."
(d)(1) Upon receipt of a determination that an abandoned mobile home is derelict by a local government agent, and on the same date the notice required by subsection (c) of this Code section is posted, a landowner shall send notice, which notice shall include a listing of all responsible parties and last known addresses, to all responsible parties by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery. Such notice shall contain a description of the abandoned mobile home, including the make of the mobile home, the location of such mobile home, and the fact that such abandoned mobile home has been deemed derelict. Such notice shall include a statement that such responsible party is entitled to request a hearing in magistrate court within 90 days from the date that appears on such notice to contest the determination that such abandoned mobile home is derelict and that failure to request such hearing within 90 days of receipt of such notice shall entitle such landowner to dispose of the derelict mobile home.(2) If no responsible party can be ascertained, the landowner shall place an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where such mobile home is located; if there is no newspaper in such county, shall post such advertisement at the county courthouse in such place where other public notices are posted. Such advertisement shall run in the newspaper once a week for two consecutive weeks or shall remain posted at the courthouse for two consecutive weeks. The advertisement shall contain a description of the mobile home, including the make of the mobile home, the location of such mobile home, and the fact that such mobile home has been deemed derelict. Such advertisement shall include a statement that such responsible party is entitled to request a hearing in magistrate court by a date certain and the advertisement shall state the specific end date to contest the determination that such abandoned mobile home is derelict and that failure to request such hearing by such date shall entitle such landowner to dispose of the derelict mobile home.(e) Neither the local governing authority nor the local government agent shall bear any liability with respect to any lawful actions taken to make a determination that a mobile home is abandoned or derelict.Amended by 2020 Ga. Laws 521,§ 44, eff. 7/29/2020.Added by 2018 Ga. Laws 428,§ 1, eff. 5/1/2019.