Ga. bill could speed up eviction process for those living in hotels
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - As Augusta’s busiest week approaches, hotels in the area will soon be packed full of guests, but many hotels are struggling with squatters.
In 2019, your I-TEAM exposed that motel owners were kicking out long-term guests to make room for golf-week visitors who could foot the bill.
All of that stopped in 2022 when lawmakers gave the green light for guests to claim tenant rights after a certain amount of time, kickstarting a lengthy formal eviction process.
However, a bill making its way through the Georgia legislature could change all of that.
We spoke to local law enforcement about what this could mean moving forward.
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With the way the code is written now, hotel owners tell us the eviction process can take months to get through, all while guests stay put rent-free.
It’s an issue hotel owners say they deal with year-round, and it hurts their wallet the most in the spring.
But if the new bill es, it wouldn’t just speed the process up, it would change the game for everyone.
Garian Henry doesn’t just know the phrase “pay up or get out.” She lived it.
“I was homeless, and I couldn’t afford a lot of things. I stayed in the motel because I had no other choice,” said Henry.
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She says she had two choices when golf week came to town –pay the increased hotel fee or move to the streets.
“I’ve been there,” said Henry. “My children and me have had to sit out in a park and sleep out in my car due to the fact that we had to uproot and leave so that people could come in for a week or two.”
Now, with spring right around the corner, her fears of the past are resurfacing.
“I just can’t help but to think about what’s going to happen to the individuals here in the motel,” said Henry.
Major Robbie Silas says the eviction process is the same year-round.
“They know that if they can’t pay, that they’re going to be removed from the properties,” said Silas.
If approved, however, House Bill 183 would allow deputies to remove non-paying guests after 5 days.
In turn, this makes things easier on hotels and law enforcement.
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“It would speed it up real well for the marshal’s department,” said Silas. “We have to protect our business owners and our citizens. We don’t want anybody done wrong, you know, over rental properties or anything like that, so we try to work with them.”
At the end of the day, Silas says the work doesn’t stop after the eviction.
“We would love to help them. We don’t mind giving them transportation to the shelter and reuniting them with family,” said Silas. “The sheriff’s office has made it clear we are here to help.”
The bill recently made it to the house for a second read.
Even if it es, it’s likely we won’t see the changes until later in the year.
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