DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office seeks to clear property bond liens

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Did you use your home as a property bond to get a relative or friend out of jail after they were arrested? If so, there may still be a lien on your property, and it might be time to get it removed, according to DeKalb County Sheriff Melody M. Maddox.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has launched the “Notice of Bond Release” project, a collaboration of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Civil Process Unit, the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office, the DeKalb County Solicitor’s Office, and the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court to help clear property bond liens on file by informing property owners of the bond release process.

If the property bond was $10,000 or more, a lien was placed on the property. Currently, there are some 1,047 property bonds with liens that are ready to be removed so the property can be released back to the owner.

Following is the process to remove a property bond lien. All officers are open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and are located in the DeKalb County Courthouse, 556 North McDonough Street in Decatur, GA 30030.

·       First, as the Surety (property owner), you must bring a valid state issued ID and a copy of the Notice of Bond. If more than one individual is named as the Surety, all parties need to be present with their valid state issued IDs and a copy of the Notice of Bond.

·       If you do not have a copy of the Notice of Bond, you can get a copy from the Clerk of Superior Court Real Estate office located on the ground floor of the courthouse.

·       Next, take those documents (a copy of the Notice of Bond and your state issued ID) to the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office on the 7th Floor of the Administrative side of the courthouse to obtain your Property Bond Release.

·       Then, bring your state issued ID, a copy of the Notice of Bond and the Property Bond Release to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Civil Process Unit located in Room B110 in the basement of the courthouse for further processing.

·       Finally, take all documents obtained during this process to the Clerk of Superior Court Real Estate office to get the lien removed. The fee to have the property bond release is $25.00 cash or money order only.

The project continues through Jan. 6, 2023. The alphabetical (by last name) schedule for service is as follows:

For more information on bonding at the DeKalb County Jail, visit www.dekalbsheriff.org.