The clerk of superior court shall record and index such certified copy of the order in the deed records of the county and enter the lien on the general execution docket

The lien shall be superior to all other liens on the property, except liens for taxes to which the lien shall be inferior, and shall continue in force until paid. (2) Upon final determination of costs, fees, and expenses incurred in accordance with this chapter, the public officer responsible for enforcement actions in accordance with this chapter shall transmit to the appropriate county tax commissioner or municipal tax collector or city revenue officer a statement of the total amount due and secured by said lien, together with copies of all notices provided to interested parties. The statement of the public officer shall be transmitted within 90 days of completion of the repairs, demolition, or closure. It shall be the duty of the appropriate county tax commissioner or municipal tax collector or city revenue officer, who is responsible or whose duties include the collection of municipal taxes, to collect the amount of the lien using all methods available for collecting real property ad valorem taxes, including specifically Chapter 4 of Title 48; provided, however, that the limitation of Code Section 48-4-78 which requires 12 months of delinquency before commencing a tax foreclosure shall not apply. A county tax commissioner shall collect and enforce municipal liens imposed pursuant to this chapter in accordance with Code Section 48-5-359.1. The county tax commissioner or municipal tax collector or city revenue officer shall remit the amount collected to the governing authority of the county or municipality whose lien is being collected. (3) Enforcement of liens pursuant to this Code section may be initiated at any time following receipt by the county tax commissioner or municipal tax collector or city revenue officer of the final determination of costs in accordance with this chapter. The unpaid lien amount shall bear interest and penalties from and after the date of final determination of costs in the same amount as applicable to interest and penalties on unpaid real property ad valorem taxes. An enforcement proceeding pursuant to Code Section 48-4-78 for delinquent ad valorem taxes may include all amounts due under this chapter. (4) The redemption amount in any enforcement proceeding pursuant to this Code section shall be the full amount of the costs as finally determined in accordance with this Code section together with interest, penalties, and costs incurred by the governing authority, county tax commissioner, municipal tax collector, or city revenue officer in the enforcement of such lien. Redemption of property from the lien may be made in accordance with the provisions of Code Sections 48-4-80 and 48-4-81. (c) The governing authority may waive and release any such lien imposed on property upon the owner of such property entering into a contract with the county or municipality agreeing to a timetable for rehabilitation of the real property or the dwelling, building, or structure on the property and demonstrating the financial means to accomplish such rehabilitation. (d) Where the abatement action does not commence in the superior court, review of a court order requiring the repair, alteration, improvement, or demolition of a dwelling, building, or structure shall be a de novo proceeding in the superior court under Code Sections 5-3-4 and 5-3-5. (e) In addition to the procedures and remedies in this chapter, a governing authority may provide by ordinance that designated public officers may issue citations for violations of state minimum standard codes, optional building, fire, life safety, and other codes adopted by ordinance, and conditions creating a public health hazard or general nuisance, and seek to enforce such citations in a court of competent jurisdiction prior to issuing a complaint in rem as provided in this Code section. (f) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to impair or limit in any way the power of the county or municipality to define and declare nuisances and to cause their removal or abatement by summary proceedings or otherwise. History. Code 1981, § 41-2-9, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 2107, § 45; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 30; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 41; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1419, § 2; Ga. L. 1989, p. 14, § 41; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1161, § 3; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1347, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 41; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1196, § 3; Ga. L. 2004, p. 907, § 2; Ga. L. 2005, p. 60, § 41/HB 95; Ga. L. 2022, p. 767, § 2-32/HB 916. The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, in subsection (d), substituted “a de novo proceeding in” for “by direct appeal to” and “Code Sections 5-3-4 and 5-3-5” for “Code Section 5-3-29” at the end. See Editor’s notes for applicability.