TITLE 52 WATERS OF THE STATE, PORTS, AND WATERCRAFT

Section 1. General Provisions, 52-1-1 through 52-1-39.

ARTICLE 1 PROTECTION OF TIDEWATERS

52-1-5. Order for removal of structures; service and posting of order.

Whenever the commissioner determines that any structure as defined in this article exists, the commissioner may issue an order directed "TO ALL PERSONS IN POSSESSION OR CLAIMING OWNERSHIP OF THIS STRUCTURE."The order shall describe the structure in reasonable detail, shall set forth the unlawful nature of the structure, and shall order that the structure be removed within a reasonable time after the order becomes final to be prescribed in such order. Any order issued by the commissioner under this article shall be signed by the commissioner.Any such order shall become final unless any person in possession of the structure or any person claiming ownership of or an interest in the structure requests in writing a hearing pursuant to Code Section 52-1-6. The order shall apprise the person or persons of their right to request a hearing and of the procedures necessary to obtain a hearing pursuant to Code Section 52-1-6.The order, in all cases, shall be served by initially publishing the same once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper printed and published in the county in which the structure is located or in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the structure is located.The order shall then be served by a peace officer upon any person of suitable age and discretion found in possession of the structure or, if no such person is found in possession of the structure, the peace officer shall securely post the order in a conspicuous place on the structure.Any order so posted must be protected from the weather by encasing same in a weatherproof, transparent material.The date of service shall be stated within the order. The return of the service signed by the peace officer and filed in the office of the commissioner, stating that a copy of such order was served either upon a person of suitable age and discretion in possession of the structure personally or that no such person was found in possession of the structure and that a copy of the order was posted in a conspicuous place on the structure in accordance with this Code section, shall be sufficient evidence as to the service of such person in possession; provided, however, that where the address of the person or persons claiming ownership of the structure is known, a copy of such order shall be mailed to such persons by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery as part of the service process during the period of time that the order is being published in the newspaper.

(Code 1981, §52-1-5, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 2317, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1589, § 3.)