A national increase in HOA-related foreclosure filings carries particular significance across North Atlanta, where association-governed subdivisions, townhome developments and condominium communities are a familiar part of suburban life. Georgia does not publish a county-by-county count of HOA foreclosures, but cases from Forsyth and Gwinnett counties show how unpaid assessments can grow into liens, attorney fees and court-ordered property sales.
A homeowners association does not need to hold the mortgage to place a home at risk. In Georgia communities governed by the Property Owners’ Association Act, unpaid assessments can create a lien against the property. Once the balance reaches the legal threshold, the association may ask a court to authorize foreclosure, even when the homeowner remains current on the mortgage.
That process is now drawing greater attention nationally. During the first quarter of 2026, 6,376 properties had HOA-related foreclosure filings, from initial default notices through completed sales. That was nearly 40 percent more than two years earlier and represented a faster increase than mortgage foreclosures, real-estate analytics firm Attom found in data reported by The Wall Street Journal…