Forsyth County, GA Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Section 18-231 sets the entry point for Forsyth County's dwelling and property nuisance abatement process, run out of chapter 18, article VIII. A complaint starts when either a public authority, such as a housing or health official, or at least five residents of unincorporated Forsyth County file a request with the public officer, defined elsewhere in the article as the county manager, the code enforcement supervisor, the planning and community development director, or the county attorney or their designees. The request has to allege one of three specific conditions: that the property is unfit for human habitation or for commercial, industrial or business use and out of compliance with applicable codes; that it is vacant and being used in connection with drug crimes; or that it constitutes an endangerment to public health or safety from unsanitary or unsafe conditions.

Once a qualifying request comes in, the public officer must investigate or inspect the property. If the inspection confirms one of those conditions, the officer notifies the board of commissioners and either issues a 30-day notice to comply or files a complaint in rem in Forsyth County Magistrate Court. Owners who miss a 30-day compliance notice face a formal in rem action, a hearing before the magistrate court within 15 to 45 days, and a possible order to repair, close or demolish the property, with the cost recoverable as a lien collected alongside ad valorem property taxes. This process only reaches unincorporated Forsyth County; Cumming handles its own property maintenance complaints.