South Carolina

South Carolina Condo & HOA News

Residents question fire safety after 2-alarm fire in Carolina Forest condo complex (SC) April 9, 2024
After a two-alarm fire ripped through a River Oaks condo Saturday morning, nearby residents are questioning their safety saying they didn’t even know it was happening. River Oaks residents claim they didn’t realize the roof of their condo building was on fire Saturday morning until a neighbor came banging on their doors. Read the article…………………………….
Goodbye turf grass: HOA embraces native plants for their gnarly roots March 28, 2024
When James McKee became president of his community’s homeowners association three years ago, he did it for the stormwater ponds. The 13 ponds in Seaside Farms provide protection against flooding by storing excess stormwater, but McKee was surprised to learn that their main function is to clean the water. Read the article…………………………….
Employee accused of stealing over $200,000 from HOA in Anderson Co. (SC) March 26, 2024
An employee is accused of stealing over $200,000 from a homeowners association in Anderson County. According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, detectives met with the Overlook Homeowners Association President after he noticed a large amount of money was missing from the association’s account. Read the article…………………………….
Editorial: SC is getting more HOA complaints than ever; it should act on them March 4, 2024
Most anyone driving past the small garden planted in the front yard of Craig and Jamie Bussard’s James Island house at 1530 Ocean Neighbors Blvd. would think, “Is this really what all the fuss is all about?” if they even noticed the few small plants in a fresh bed of wood chips. That’s why the neighborhood homeowners association’s order to remove the small rain garden and put down sod in its place seems so bizarre and petty. Read the article…………………………….
Homeowners fight to keep rain garden in flood-prone James Island yard; can HOA be stopped? (SC) February 27, 2024
Whenever it rained, Craig and Jamie Bussard knew their yard would flood. It became saturated every time the skies opened up ever since they moved into their home on Ocean Neighbors Boulevard in 2015. Over time, the Bussards just accepted it as their reality. But then they saw a way out: plant a rain garden, a round space where native plants would soak up the downpour. Read the article…………………………….
‘Don’t see it slowing down:’ SC Consumer Affairs say Horry Co. HOA complaints on the rise February 14, 2024
Horry County leads South Carolina in the number of Homeowner Association complaints, according to a recent report by the South Carolina Dept. of Consumer Affairs. The report shows consumers raised nearly 700 concerns with HOAs in 2023. Read the article…………………………….
Myrtle Beach HOA won’t provide completion date for public trail nearly 5 years after opening (SC) February 13, 2024
A Myrtle Beach Homeowners Association still won’t provide a completion timeline for a public walking trail from nearly five years ago. The Grand Dunes community in June 2019 announced plans for the Waterway Trail, a 2-mile multi-use trail along the Intracoastal Waterway near the Claire Chapin Epps Family YMCA. Read the article…………………………….

South Carolina News Archives

South Carolina Condo & HOA Articles

Spring Has Sprung! Is Your Community Association Ready?
Spring has sprung! Which means that community associations through North and South Carolina will begin seeing increased community traffic, amenity use (including use of playgrounds, pools, tennis and pickleball courts), and increased social events. So, is your community ready. Read the article…………………………….
Mastering ARC Applications: Best Practices for HOA Board Members
If you’re part of a community association board, you will become familiar with Architectural Control – the process for reviewing and approving additions or exterior modification requests for homes within the community. Whether the board is tasked with managing the process or delegated to an Architectural Review Committee (ARC) or Architectural Review Board (ARB), you know the challenges it can present. But fear not! Read the article…………………………….
Legislative Update—Proposed Changes to H 3180 Could Impact HOAs (SC)
As recently mentioned here on March 28, 2024, the South Carolina Legislature is currently considering a bill that impacts the ability of community associations to collect assessments from non-paying members of their communities. As originally drafted, House Bill 3180 would have eliminated any HOA’s ability to foreclose its lien when someone didn’t pay their assessments. Read the article…………………………….
South Carolina Legislature Considering Two HOA Bills
Two bills, one dealing with the foreclosure process for homeowners associations and one dealing with HAM radios, have received attention from the South Carolina House of Representatives in the past weeks and are gaining momentum. On March 26, 2024, a subcommittee hearing took place at which both bills were considered. Read the article…………………………….
Getting Your Community Ready for Spring and Summer
As the winter chill begins to fade away, it’s time for HOA communities to gear up for the vibrant seasons of spring and summer. Ensuring your community is prepared for the warmer months involves a checklist of essential tasks to enhance safety, maintain amenities, and foster a sense of community spirit. Here’s a guide to help your HOA make the most of the upcoming season. Read the article…………………………….
Five Factors a Court Will Likely Consider to Determine Validity and Enforceability of Amendments Recorded by Developers (SC)
The 2006 Court of Appeals case of Queens Grant II Horizontal Property Regime vs. Greenwood Development Corporation (368 S.C. 342) provides guidance for validity of amendments to the Declaration/Master Deed (Declaration) recorded by Developers/Declarants (Developer). Read the article…………………………….
Association Common Area Can Be Foreclosed and Sold to a Third Party for Unpaid Property Tax (NC/SC)
Our office has had two situations in the last six months where an association failed to pay property taxes on association common area, the tax department foreclosed, and a third-party bought the common area at the tax foreclosure sale. Fortunately in these cases it was not the association pool or clubhouse, but it could have been. Read the article………………………….