County Building Relocation Bond - Athens Clarke, GA in Georgia

Brief Summary

Moving a house or other building in Athens-Clarke County takes more than a mover and a truck. The county wants a relocation permit, a Planning Department review that can put the move on hold for months, and a bond guaranteeing the county is protected if the mover does not meet the permit's obligations. Getting the bond lined up early keeps it off the critical path.

The County Building Relocation bond is posted by the building mover or property owner relocating a structure in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, with Athens-Clarke County as obligee. It guarantees that the move is carried out under the county's permit requirements and that the county can recover its losses if it is not. Relocation also requires a Demolition and Relocation Review from the Planning Department and a Building Relocation Permit. Confirm the bond amount and form with Athens-Clarke County Building Inspections before the bond is issued.

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How to Apply for a County Building Relocation Bond:

• File the Demolition and Relocation Review with the Athens-Clarke County Planning Department, with site plan and photographs.
• Pay the review fee of $90.00, or $25.00 if the structure is exempt from Commissioner Review.
• Allow for a possible 90-day or 180-day stay if the structure is referred for historic review.
• Apply to Building Inspections for the Building Relocation Permit and get the required bond amount and form.
• Complete the bond application, with owner name, address and Social Security number for the credit review.
• File the executed bond as Building Inspections directs before the move.

Detailed Information About the Georgia County Building Relocation Bond:

This is not a bond for county building projects

The name causes confusion. This bond is not about the county relocating its own buildings. It is the bond required of whoever moves a building in Athens-Clarke County, usually a house mover or the owner of the structure. The obligee is Athens-Clarke County.

The review that comes first

Before a structure is moved, the Athens-Clarke County Planning Department requires a Demolition and Relocation Review. The application asks for the square footage, the old and new locations, a site plan marking the building to be relocated, and photographs of every exterior side. The fee is $90.00 for structures requiring Commissioner Review and $25.00 for structures exempt from it. Exempt items include accessory structures under 500 square feet of gross floor area, structures the Chief Building Official finds hazardous, and structures in E-O, E-I or I zones. Locally designated landmarks and historic district properties need a Certificate of Appropriateness instead. The review does not apply to mobile homes, which go through the county's manufactured home permit.

This review can hold up the move. Staff flag structures that appear to be over 50 years old, the Commissioner may issue a 90-day stay for Historic Preservation Commission review, and the Commission may start a 180-day stay. Approval expires if the relocation is not completed within 2 years.

Where the bond fits

The Building Inspections Department lists a Building Relocation Permit among its building permit resources. The bond backs the mover's obligations to the county on that move. If the mover causes loss the permit makes it responsible for, the county can claim against the bond up to its amount, and the mover or owner then repays the surety. Ask Building Inspections for the current bond amount and form when you apply for the permit.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Georgia County Building Relocation Bond:

• Athens-Clarke County named as obligee, as the county's form requires.
• Bond amount as set by Athens-Clarke County for the relocation.
• Principal name matching the mover or owner on the permit application.
• A surety company authorized to write bonds in Georgia.
• Approved Demolition and Relocation Review, or a Certificate of Appropriateness for historic properties.

Georgia County Building Relocation Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Georgia County Building Relocation Bond: