A 'Self-Appointed' HOA Board Racked Up a $5.1 Million Unpaid Water Bill

Residents of DeKalb County's Whitehall Forest community are refusing to pay dues to a self-appointed board as the community's water bill — left unpaid for years — has ballooned to $5.1 million, with some residents now facing foreclosure filings over the debt.

Police have been called to the community more than 160 times over the underlying disputes. The story was part of a local news investigative series on HOA problems that directly helped push Georgia's legislature toward passing new statewide HOA oversight rules later the same year.