ATLANTA — Editor's note: The video above is from a previous report.
With new housing laws impacting homeowners and renters across Georgia, officials in one metro country are holding a special event to answer the public’s questions.
Fulton County Chief Magistrate Judge Cassandra Kirk will join community partners for the discussion on Thursday, June 27, to cover new laws and procedures, including the Safe at Home Act and the Georgia Squatters Reform Act.
Among its provisions, the Safe at Home Act requires rental properties to be “fit for human habitation” when the lease is signed, and landlords must maintain the property throughout the lease. There are also new notice stipulations before an eviction proceeding can be filed.
“So starting on July 1 will be the Safe At Home Act. That is the push and the impetus for us really having this meeting,” Judge Kirk said, adding that experts will provide information to attendees from both the tenant as well as a landlord perspective.
“So there are opportunities for people just to have information and that's absolutely what we want to be able to do,” she added.
The Squatter Reform Act, which took effect immediately after Kemp signed the law this spring, gives property owners who are dealing with squatters more rights. It’s an issue 11Alive has repeatedly covered over the past year. Kirk and the experts will cover the difference between the criminal and civil track.
Such changes, Kirk anticipates, will bring a greater caseload to the courts. Fulton County Magistrate Court, Kirk shared, had approximately 13,000 open landlord tenant cases in January but has since gotten that number down to 3,000.
“Working together, we have created some processes that will help us continue to stay ahead of this, and we do anticipate additional cases coming,” she said. “We have 45,000 cases annually.
Thursday’s event will be held from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Big Bethel A.M.E. Church, 220 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Those seeking more information about the changes or other magistrate court procedures can also visit here.