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'Stop the nonsense': Lawmakers in one state move to give homeowners more rights in HOA disputes

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'Stop the nonsense': Lawmakers in one state move to give homeowners more rights in HOA disputes

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Lawmakers in Georgia are taking aim at homeowners associations after hearing horror stories from residents who have been fined, sued and threatened with foreclosure.

“It’s not just here in Georgia. It’s all over, and it’s a national problem right now,” state Sen. Donzella James told Fox News Digital. “It’s just Georgia is one that people are furious over some of the things that’s happening.”

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State Sen. Donzella James, a Democrat representing Atlanta, has long pushed for limits on homeowners associations’ powers. (Left, iStock. Right, courtesy Sen. James/Facebook)

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More than 20% of the Peach State’s population lives in neighborhoods governed by community associations, according to 2021 data from the Foundation for Community Association Research. The foundation estimated HOAs collect almost $3.2 billion each year from Georgia residents.

Dues payments can cover shared facilities like gyms and pools, as well as maintenance, and HOAs can fine homeowners if they violate association covenants or fall behind on their dues.

James noted that HOAs began as a way to improve “quality of life” in communities. But homeowners across the state have complained that their associations unfairly hit them with fines, cut off their water after they fell behind on dues and even foreclosed on their homes.

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“There are some predatory HOA fees and they have nothing to control them,” James, a Democrat representing Atlanta, said. “And so our biggest problems with that is that people are being … abused and losing their homes over petty things.”

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One woman told lawmakers she faced a $25,000 lien after installing a rock garden in her yard, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported late last year. A realtor said a client was threatened with $84,000 in arbitrary fines, which dropped to just $600 after they got a lawyer.

“Most people don’t have that extra $5,000 for an attorney,” the realtor testified. 

This spring, the state legislature overwhelmingly passed House Bill 220 requiring community associations to notify a home or condo owner in writing of any covenant violations and give them time to fix them before pursuing legal action. That law takes effect July 1.

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The Senate also passed a resolution creating a study committee to look into HOA rules and potentially pass more legislation protecting property owners. James, a Democrat, pushed the bill for two years before it finally passed, now with bipartisan support.

“We want to make sure that we just stop the nonsense, take care of the people and not put people out of their dream homes,” James said.

But other bills that would have created an ombudsman’s office to investigate HOA and homeowner disputes, as well as strip HOAs of their ability to foreclose on homes once a member owes $2,000 or more, failed to pass this year.

Tricia Quigley lost her home of nearly two decades after a prolonged battle over dues payments. Attorney fees and interest spiraled out of control, so even after she paid the original debt, she was thousands of dollars in the hole.

Her HOA foreclosed on her house and bought it for $3.24 at auction, according to an 11Alive investigation.

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“I don’t even know when I’m going to be able to retire now,” Quigley told Fox News Digital. “I can’t buy another house. It just has totally changed my life.”

Georgia law allows HOAs to put a lien on a member’s home and file for foreclosure as soon as they owe $2,000. House lawmakers plan to refile a bill next year that would take foreclosure off the table. (iStock)

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Julie Howard, an Atlanta-based attorney who represents homeowner and condominium associations, said there are already “due process” requirements before HOAs can foreclose on a home.

“The governing documents are there for the benefit of everyone in the community and the owners elect the members of the board of directors that enforce … the documents that everyone agrees to abide by when they buy in the community,” Howard said.

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And when people don’t abide by those rules, their HOA is entitled to levy late fees, fines and even foreclose on members’ homes under the Georgia Property Owners’ Association Act — drafted in part by one of the main Atlanta law firms that represents HOAs.

Howard said residents are usually allowed to request a hearing before their HOA board to challenge fines and that owners should be notified every step of the way.

“It’s just not possible for someone to have been foreclosed upon out of the blue under Georgia law,” she said.

James’ colleagues in the state House have already announced plans to refile their version of the bill that would bar HOAs from foreclosing on homes because of unpaid fees.

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“My commitment has always been to ensure that property owners have their rights safeguarded and that we foster a fair and transparent system,” Rep. Viola Davis said in a May news release. “The end results must protect the American Dream of Homeownership.”

Davis and her two co-sponsors, all Democrats, hope to get the bill to a vote when the legislature returns to session in January.

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Naked woman allegedly assaults deputy while intoxicated, claims she was ‘trying to be a mermaid’

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Naked woman allegedly assaults deputy while intoxicated, claims she was ‘trying to be a mermaid’

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A Louisiana woman’s attempt to go for a skinny-dip did not end swimmingly, authorities said, after she allegedly attacked a sheriff’s deputy responding to a trespassing complaint before finally surrendering to deputies Tuesday.

According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously.

When a patrol deputy arrived, authorities said the suspect was found nude and swimming in a pond located on the caller’s property. 

The woman was later identified as Erin Elizabeth Sutton, 41, of Marion. Sutton initially refused to exit the pond or speak with the deputy, telling him she was “trying to be a mermaid,” according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.

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Erin Elizabeth Sutton, 41, is accused of threatening a sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana after being caught skinny-dipping in a neighbor’s pond. She claimed she was “trying to be a mermaid,” according to police. (Union Parish Sheriff’s Office / Getty Images)

After repeated commands, Sutton eventually exited the pond. Due to cold temperatures, emergency medical services were contacted to evaluate her, authorities said. 

A blanket was provided, and as the deputy attempted to escort Sutton inside a residence to warm up, she allegedly charged at him.

Authorities said Sutton ignored multiple commands to comply and resisted detention. A taser was deployed but had no effect, according to the sheriff’s office. Sutton was taken to the ground, where she allegedly continued to resist, kicking and punching the deputy before being restrained.

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The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office in Farmerville, La., announced on Facebook that 41-year-old Erin Elizabeth Sutton had allegedly attacked and threatened one of their deputies after skinny-dipping in a neighbor’s pond, citing she was “trying to be a mermaid.” (Google Maps)

Sutton was transported to a hospital for further treatment. During the transport, she allegedly threatened to kill deputies and paramedics, authorities said.

Because Sutton required medical care at the time, deputies later sought arrest warrants, which were signed by a judge in Louisiana’s Third Judicial District Court, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sutton surrendered to deputies on Jan. 6, 2025, and was arrested on multiple charges, including three counts of resisting an officer with force or violence, two counts of public intimidation, two counts of battery of a police officer, disturbing the peace/drunkenness and criminal trespassing.

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According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor was trespassing. (iStock)

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Her bond was set at $62,000, authorities said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response. It was not immediately clear whether Sutton has retained legal representation.

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Dem governor-elect taps Crockett’s former ‘chief brand strategist’ for top DEI role

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Dem governor-elect taps Crockett’s former ‘chief brand strategist’ for top DEI role

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FIRST ON FOX: Soon-to-be Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has tapped the former “chief brand strategist” for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to serve in the state’s top diversity, equity and inclusion role.

In a Tuesday statement, Spanberger, who takes office on Jan. 17, announced she is appointing Dr. Sesha Joi Moon to serve as Virginia’s chief diversity officer and director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Spanberger said that Moon’s “experience across government, education, and the nonprofit sectors gives her firsthand insight into the ways in which we can build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Virginia for every family.”

“I’m excited to announce that Dr. Moon is joining our administration,” said Spanberger, adding, “Virginia deserves leaders who will make sure our work to grow our Commonwealth’s economy keeps the needs of all Virginians in mind.”

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Virginia Democratic Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger celebrates as she takes the stage during her election night rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Nov. 04, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“When every Virginian has the opportunity to reach their full potential, it benefits all of us,” she said.

Moon, whose doctorates are in public administration and policy and self-identifies as a “Black queer woman,” responded to her appointment by saying she is looking “forward to joining the cabinet of Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger as her historic administration works to advance a future in which all Virginians have access to opportunity — to include residents from some of the hardest-to-reach communities throughout the Commonwealth.”

Moon most recently served as the chief impact officer for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Before that, through her private consultant practice Moon & Associates, she worked as the “chief brand strategist” for Crockett, a radical far-left Democrat who is currently running for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

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Earlier this year, Moon appeared on a 40-minute podcast episode, where she defended the importance of DEI and delivered a direct message to critics, saying, “This work has not stopped. You can defund and dismantle all you want, but the work continues.”

“I’m excited. I feel like DEI is just getting started,” Moon continued. “I know that sounds so insane to some people because some people think our discipline is crumbling, and I don’t see it like that. I feel like we’re onto something here.”

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Moon also served as executive-in-residence with two-time failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ American Pride Rises Network, a DEI advocacy network.

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Before that, she was the chief diversity officer of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 117th & 118th Congresses under Speakers Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Mike Johnson, R-La.

Spanberger won a decisive electoral victory this November, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by a margin of over 10 percentage points.

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Then Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears speaks at a CPAC Latino Rally for Virginia on October 25, 2025 in Sterling, Virginia.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Considered a purple state, Spanberger’s victory returns the Virginia governor’s mansion to the Democrats after being held by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger, Moon, Crockett, Abrams and the Girl Scouts of the USA for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared an update on his mother’s condition after she was moved to a burn unit following a house fire in North Carolina that left his father dead earlier this week.

Hamlin thanked those who reached out to him and shared their condolences. Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze that occurred in Stanley.

Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

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“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” he wrote on X. “My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”

Officials said Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem to treat her injuries.

Officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The fire broke out at a home in Stanley around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, which drew emergency responses from Gaston and Lincoln Counties, according to Queen City News.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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Both Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were out of the house as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

“We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police,” the Lucia-Bend Fire Department said in a statement to the outlet.

Dennis Hamlin’s death was announced later Monday.

NASCAR released a statement on Tuesday to honor the NASCAR driver’s father.

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“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the organization said.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car  after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)

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“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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